


The Last Days

by earpsshaughty



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Academy, Alternate Universe, Betrayal, Enemies to Friends, F/F, F/M, Friendship/Love, Leadership, M/M, Makeup, Military, Outer Space
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 07:29:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 85,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earpsshaughty/pseuds/earpsshaughty
Summary: Hotshot pilot Waverly dreams of becoming a captain, but when she loses her spot to a wisecracking girl from the wrong side of the asteroid belt, she begins to question everything she thought she knew.Trapped on the toxic planet Titan, Nicole will take any chance she can to join the Academy-even if she has to steal someone's identity to get in.Jeremy was always an outcast on icy Ginus and is looking for a place to belong. He just never thought it would be in the arms of the hottest guys in the Galaxy.And Wynonna has infiltrated the fleet to complete a mission, one that threatens the security of everyone around her. But if anyone finds out who she really is, it'll be her life on the line..As worlds collide at the Academy, these four cadets will have to learn to work together if they want to survive. But how do you begin to trust the very people you've spent a lifetime learning to hate.
Relationships: Jeremy Chetri/Robin, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, Wynonna Earp/Doc Holliday
Comments: 31
Kudos: 122





	1. Nicole

The airlock opened with a hiss, and Nicole shot off through the blisteringly hot, pink-tinged air. As her bike sped across the cracked red ground, she took shallow breaths until she was sure that her gas mask was working. The she exhaled and moved the roader into a higher gear, leaning forward to make her body as streamlined as possible. After spending the night delivering water to the luxury towers in Sector 2, it was a relief to be in the open. The air in the towers might be quadruple filtered, but it always felt worse than the poisonous atmosphere.

Water was strictly rationed on Titan, and most people barely had enough to drink, let alone showering more than once a week. But for a steep price, anyone willing to risk punishment could buy it on the black market from people like Nicole's boss, Nedley. Nicole had been working for Nedley and delivering to the towers for two years, yet the wealthy residents still looked at her warily, as if she was something that should have been caught in the filters. She'd learned the hard way to not linger on anything in their homes-not the fruit growing in the terrariums, not on the films playing on the tv, and especially not on the books locked in the air tight cases to keep them out of the corrosive air. If there was one thing rich people trusted less than a dust covered Tinak, it was a dust covered Tinak who liked to read.

It was fairly clear out, and in the distance, the towers of Sector 23 loomed up through the faint pink haze. Nicole lived on the twenty-third floor of Tower B, one of the six giant cement structures that compromised her scenic home. If she was lucky, she'd get a few hours of sleep before Nedley called with the the next set of deliveries.

Nicole switched on her helmet radio, banging her gloved hand against the side a few times until the static was clear."--officials said ten miners were killed in the blast. And now, the local weather," a cheery voice chirped.

"The time is 43:40 in the morning. Air traffic conditions are suboptimal due to a storm in the mesosphere. Today's high will be 122 centis. The low will be 97 centis. According to current atmoshperic readings, breathing unfiltered air will kill you in a minute and forty seconds. Have a wonderful day!"

Nicole cursed as she she hit a pothole. The deliveries were causing a lot of damage to her engine, but she didn't have a choice. Making runs for Nedley beat fourteen hours a day in one of the mines, even if it meant working for the biggest asshole on Titan.

She straightened her legs and lifted herself up for a better view. The path looked clear save for the remains of abandoned mining equipment-some rusty drills, huge broken barrels, and whatever tanker pieces hadn't been snatched up by scavengers.

The drone of the radio was cut off by an alert. "Incoming call from.. _Nicole you'd better accept this or you're in for a world of pain.._ Do you accept? Nicole sighed and whispered, "Accept."

"What the **_Hell_** were you thinking?" a familiar voice barked."You don't mouth off to clients."

"What are you even talking about, Nedley?" Nicole asked wearily. "The way you spoke to Bobo Del-Rey was unacceptable. To say nothing of stealing product _**HE**_ paid for."

Nicole groaned. On her way to the Del-Rey building, she'd passed a tired looking boy mopping the floor, a fairly common sight on Titan, where kids often dropped school when their parents got too sick to work. Nicole had offered him a tiny sip of water, enough so he wouldn't pass out before her shift was over. She'd gotten that nosy, bored Bobo Del-Rey often watched his building's security feed, watching his neighbors even in the middle of the night. When she arrived at his door, he'd spend a good ten minutes yelling at her before Nicole ended his tirade with a few colorful words.

"I gotta tell you, Nedley. It's tough to feel bad for the wealthy people who care more about their plants than settler kids."

Unlike the Settlers, who's ancestors had arrived on Titan generations ago, most of the rich people were recent arrivals from Purgatory. The Space Federation's capital planet.

"Oh, so now you're gonna get all moral on me, jackass? Your job is to make the deliveries and keep you mouth shut. Understand?!"

"Understood," Nicole muttered

"You're lucky I happen to have a kind, understanding nature. I'm going to give you one more chance. I have a pickup for you tonight at 12'32' south, 79'98' east. How come I don't hear you pulling over to write that down?"

"12'32' south, 79'98' east," Nicole repeated dully. "Roger that chief." She could never forget coordinates. She had a thing for numbers. She could see them rearranging themselves in her head into all sorts of combinations that allowed her to solve very complex equations in seconds. Not that it had done her any good. Because she couldn't show her work on math exams, her teachers always thought she was cheating. Their skepticism had made her sister Natalie, furious, but Nicole hadn't really cared. Good grades only matter for people like Natalie-the rare students smart enough to catch the instructors' attention and likeable enough to justify the endless paperwork and bribes required to get into the an off planet college or training program. Though in the end, even Natalie hadn't made if off Titan.

"If you mess this up, you're gonna be sorry. I mean it, Nicole."

"I got it. I'll be there tonight." 12'32' south, 79'98' east was in Sector 26, where Nedley had a contact who brought in stolen tech from Purgatory. While water comprised the load of Nedley's trade, he also dabbled in weapons and had a passion for interstellar cryptocurrency. There was a rumor that he'd even hacked the Purgatorian Bank.

"Shit," Nicole grunted as her engine hit another pothole and flew into the air. She managed to keep the bike steady but landed hard enough that the vibrations coursed through her body. She looked down to see that her pants were still tucked into her boots. Exposed skin allowed the ait to seep into your pores, killing you over the course of a few hours.

Titan was naturally toxic to humans. The planet was covered with a thick cloud of gas, a combination of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and just enough oxygen to be filtered and put into airtight buildings. It just so happened to be rich in the terrarium, the metal that was once used to build the majority of the buildings on Purgatory.

A hundred years ago, mine owners had metal exporters from Purgatory had come to Titan eager to stake their claim. They had built humongous bubbles around their comfortable homes to protect themselves from the atmosphere and traveled back and forth to work in customized floatcrafts with extra oxygen filtration systems. Then they'd built buildings for the thousands of workers they lured to Titan with hope of high wages and a fresh start. The buildings were close enough to the mines the workers could walk there, walking through the toxic pink fog in their issued gas masks. The masks, of course, didn't have backup oxygen filters.

About twenty years ago, developers discovered a stronger metal, cobalt, on Ginus and the terrarium market bottomed out. The vast majority of the mines shut down. but the time the miners had already spent under was enough to corrode their organs. Nicole's Father had died at the age of thirty-nine with tumors in his lungs more than the amount of money in his pocket.

Ahead, something shinned near the horizon. Police in a floatcraft. Nicole cursed and moved sharply off the road onto a bumpy, pothole filled wasteland. She hadn't been doing anything illegal. Nothing that could have been spotted from the air, at least, but the police stopped anyone they felt like messing with. If they pulled her over and found the illegal water, she'd been screwed. Most people who were arrested on Titan didn't get warnings, and they didn't get trials. They were simply never heard or seen again. 

Nicole started to speed up and angled the bike on the most direct route to the cavern, a series of channels that the miners had created long ago. It was far to narrow for the floatcraft to follow and to dark to allow any facial recognition to identify Nicole from a distance. 

Over the roar of her engine came the buzz of the police's floatcraft. Nicole forced herself to steady her breathing. The mask could only filter so much at one time.

"Stop and step away from your vehicle," a loud voice said from above. "You have entered a restricted area and are required to show identification."

 _Restricted area my ass._ They cavern hadn't been "restricted" for the past twenty years. It was just a loaded excuse the police used when they wanted to search someone. Nicole leaned lower, urging her bike to speed up. Red dust came up on either side of her, and every time he went over a rock or a hole dip in the road, the bike flew into the air.

The entrance to the cavern loomed up ahead, a narrow gash is the red dirt hill. There was no way the floatcraft would fit through it. If Nicole could make it there in time, the police would have to give up.

"Stop and step away from the vehicle," the voice commanded. "This is your last warning."

The Cavern was a hundred mitons away. Now ninety. Nicole sped up even more. Seventy. She glanced over her shoulder and cursed. Why wasn't the floatcraft turning around?

The cavern entrance grew larger. Now she was forty away. Thirty. The cavern was only seven mitons across, barley wide enough for two bikes to drive next to each other, let alone a floatcraft. The police was going to pull up soon. He had to.

A sudden rush of air nearly knocked Nicole off her. The floatcraft had dropped closer to the ground and was now driving right beside her. "Pull over," the police shouted.

In response, Nicole got even lower and pushed the accelerator as far as it would go. She aimed for the cavern entrance and held her breath, hoping that the police wouldn't try to speed up and block her, and end up killing both of them.

She dove into shadow as the caverns walls soared up on either side of her, the glanced over her shoulder just in time to see the floatcraft steer sharply to the left. A few seconds later, she heard the crunch of metal followed by a thud.

Nicole stopped so hard the bike spun out, slamming against the wall of the cavern. For a moment, she stayed there, hunched over and breathing as dull pain throbbed through her ribs. But as she watched the police's shadow emerge for the beat up floatcraft, Nicole let out a heavy breath. There was no chance of that guy catching up to her now. She straightened up and revved the engine, smiling as it drowned out the police's curses.

It was only early afternoon by the time Nicole returned to Tower B, which meant she'd only have time to sleep an hour before heading out again. The second the airlock closed behind her, she pulled off her helmet, sending beads of sweat everywhere. She locked her bike and started climbing the stairs to her floor without bothering to check if the elevator had been fixed.

Nicole managed to make it to her apartment without running into any of her neighbors, thank Antares. Too much time has passed since Natalie's death for them to offer more condolences, but Nicole could tell they didn't feel comfortable making small talk either. You'd think in a place like sector 23, where grief circulated with the endlessly refiltered air, people would know how to deal with loss. She couldn't think of a single family that hasn't been touched by tragedy.

As usual, the small living room managed to look empty and messy all at once. Protein bar wrappers were thrown across the floor and the couch, and dirty clothes were thrown over the chairs. When Natalie was alive, the apartment had been spotless. Even though she was only two years older than Nicole, Natalie had often seemed more like a parent than a sister. After their father died, Natalie had been the one to take over the rent, brave the gas stove to cook an occasional dinner, and encouraged Nicole to complete her homework long after her teachers stopped caring for it.

Nicole closed her eyes and allowed the familiar memory to envelop him. She hadn't known that Natalie was working in the Del-Rey mine until she'd been informed about the accident Her sister had had a safe job as a janitor at the shuttleport and was studying for pilot school entrance exams. Why would she have given all that up for a short gig in the worst region on Titian? Only the most desperate went to work in the Del-Rey mines, a humongous crater where quakes caused mines to collapse and hot steam shot up from cracks in the ground.

For the first few days after Natalie disappeared, Nicole hadn't worried. Natalie often took extra shifts, and wasn't unusual for the two of them to go days without running into each other at home. After the fourth day, though, Nicole had begun to worry. And on the seventh day, she got the news that tore her heart into a billion broken pieces. Natalie was dead. Nicole would never again hear her goofy laugh. The only noise lough enough to drown out the whine of the air filter system. She'd never roll her eyes while Natalie did one of her terrible impressions that all sounded the same. She'd never again feel the comforting hug while Natalie said, "Everything's going to be okay." Words that had always filled Nicole's chest with warmth. Words that had turned out to be a lie.

Nicole pressed her hand against the wall and forced herself to breathe through the pain until it went away. She needed to get a few hours of sleep before her next run. As she took a few steps forward, her stomach rumbled. Work tonight was going to be hard if she didn't eat something first, but the kitchen was completely empty. To her immense madness, she'd had to buy new gear for her bike yesterday. Nicole usually scavenged for parts, but after days of searching, she'd ended up shelling out for the gear and now there was no money left for food. She needed something to sell, and over the past few months she'd already pawned everything valuable she'd ever owned: the watch she'd inherited from her father, her grandfather's vintage bike; the one piece of jewelry her mother, who'd died shortly after Nicole's birth, had ever owned. There was only one room she hadn't gone through.

Nicole stared at the door she hadn't opened since Natalie passed. The thought of looting her sister's room caused pain in her chest, but Natalie would be angry if she knew Nicole was going to starve to avoid going through and selling Natalie's things.

She forced herself to walk toward the door, then slipped into the second bedroom. The air felt as heavy and still that of a tomb, and Nicole found herself holding her breath.

Everything was in perfect order except for a pair of boots that lay on the floor a few centimetres apart near the door. A new wave of pain came over her as she stepped over the boots, careful not to brush against them. Something about their arrangement felt active, as if they person who took them off would be back any minute.

The bed was made, of course. Natalie had tucked the sheets neatly under the mattress the last time she'd gotten up. Had there been a small part of her that had known she was heading off to die, and had taken extra time to leave everything neat?

Nicole walked to the dresser and let her fingers hover over the top drawer handle before opening it. There was her sister's collection of books, which she'd always let Nicole read them. A stack of old button up shirts. She ran her fingers through the top one and sighed.

She shut the top drawer gently and opened the next drawer. It was empty, as was the bottom drawer. Nicole felt a strange mixture of anger and relief as she looked around the room, and she was just about to leave when something on Natalie's pillow caught her eye. She took a few steps forward and realized two separate items.. an ID card and a battered phone.

Nicole picked up the ID first, wincing slightly at the sight of her sister's smiling face. Why had her sister left this behind? She set it back down on the pillow and picked up the phone. Natalie had been so proud when she bought the used thing; there had been a point when you never saw her without the phone clipped to her belt. But reception on Titan was so bad, she eventually stopped carrying it with her.

To Nicole's surprise, there was a message. She pressed the screen and the phone lit up. Some of the messages were junk.. discounts for shuttle trips Natalie had never been able to afford and ads for "exciting career opportunities" at off planet companies that hadn't hired anyone from Titan in fifty years. There were a few messages from old friends and people who must have not heard about Natalie's death, and a few who had heard and had written anyway as a way to say goodbye.

Nicole was about to turn off the phone when she saw something that made her whole body go still. It was an unread message that with the subject line to: _Nicole._ Hands trembling, Nicole managed to open the message and began to read.

_Dear Nicole,_

_I'm sorry I left without telling you, but I didn't want you to worry. This sting in the Del-Rey mines is only ten days, and you won't believe how much they are paying us. If everything goes the proper way, you''l never read this. I'll be back before you start looting my room. But I figured I should leave something behind just in case._

_You're probably wondering why I signed up to do this job. Well, there's something else I haven't told you. I was accepted to the Space Fight Academy. Crazy, Huh? I didn't tell you that I applied because it was a long shot. And then when I got in, I didn't want you to worry about being left behind. That's why I'm here. I'm making enough money for you to get off Titan as well. You can go to a college on Purgatory or pilot training school on Ginus. I know you've never believed me, but you're a freaking genius, Nicole. You're way smarter than I am, and you can do whatever you want. This way, we will both get off this godforsaken planet. We're not going to stay here and die like Dad._

_This job isn't as dangerous as everyone says, and I really doubt anything will go wrong. But if you're reading this then I guess something did..._

_For the love of Antares, I hope you're not reading this._

_If I don't make it home, here's something you can do for me. I want you to take my spot at the Academy. I left my ID on my pillow. You're smarter than all those Purgatorians put together, and I can't wait to see an Tinak put them in their place. Because I'll be watching you, Nicole, even if we don't know from where._

_Okay, I gotta stop this because it's making me emotional, and I don't want you to come home and find me all worked up. You're never going to read this. I know you're not. I'll be home in a few days. But just in case, take care of yourself, Nicole. I love you._

_Love, Nat_

The world disappeared into a blaze of pain as Nicole collapsed to the floor. Natalie had cone to the mines for her. She'd chosen to risk her life rather than leave Nicole by herself. Nicole tried to breathe, but it felt like her lungs had collapsed, her heart stabbed by a knife. "No," she muttered as she hugged her knees to her chest. "Nat, No."

She shut her eyes as she replayed the last hours she';d spent with Natalie. Their last dinner together, their last round of hallball, a game they invented that was like basketball, their last laugh echoing just as loud as it did when they were kids. The memory had been source of comfort over the past few months, but now it felt wrong knowing that Natalie had been carrying that secret with her the entire time.

If only she'd found the phone sooner. If she'd gone through her stuff sooner, when she first disappeared, Nicole might've been able to do something. She could've gotten or stolen a ride to the mines and forced Natalie to come home. She could have saved her sister's live.

Her hands were still trembling, Nicole read the message again. This time, a small amount of pride emerged through the pain. She couldn't believe it, Natalie was accepted to the Space Fight Academy. It was the most elite school in the entire solar system, famous for producing legendary Space Fight officers. Until recently, only Purgatorians had been allowed to attend. Nicole heard about the policy changing, but she hadn't paid much attention. The idea of a Tinak being admitted to the Academy was too foolish to imagine. Yet Natalie had done it.

Forget becoming a pilot, Natalie could've been a goddamn officer.

But it would never happen now. Because that's how shit worked on Titan. No matter how hard you tried or whatever good fortune you came upon, something screwed you over. Anger ran through Nicole's veins. Natalie, the kindest, smartest person she knew, had won the chance of a lifetime, but that life had been cut short. Nicole put her arm back and threw the phone in the air. It hit the wall with a loud crack.

She let out a long sigh, then inhaled, relaxing slightly as the oxygen finally reached her lungs. Slowly, she stood up with trembling hands, reached for the ID on the pillow. Nicole started at her sister's smiling face and though what Nat had said in her message. _If I don't make it home, here's something you can do for me. I want you to take my place at the Academy._ That was crazy. Nicole couldn't just take her sister's spot. The location of the Academy was classified; there was no way an impostor could just walk in with a fake ID. If she was caught, she'd be in federation prison or worse. And even if she somehow managed to make it inside, she'd be taking classes with the smartest kids in the solar system. It wouldn't be long before someone noticed that Nicole was out of her league.

She ran her finger along the ID photo. Nicole knew that smile so well, it was hard to believe she'd never see it again. It's the smile that must've crossed Natalie's face as she'd written, _You're smarter than all those Purgatorians put together, and I can't wait to see a Tinak put them in their place._

It was so risky, t was practically a suicide mission. A million things could go wrong, and the idea of Nicole's responsible, rule following sister encouraging her to commit identity fraud was laughably absurd. Yet that somehow made it feel all the more important. Natalie had wanted this opportunity for Nicole so badly, that she was willing to send her little sister into danger.

This was Nicole's one chance to get off Titan. If she stayed, it'd be a matter of time before she'd end up riddle with tumors or a police's bullet. For the first time in eight months, Nicole felt something other than anger, grief, or despair stirring in her stomach, something she'd never thought she'd feel again... Hope. She couldn't bring her sister back to life, but perhaps she could, in a way, make Natalie's dream come true. She was going to make Natalie proud whatever the cost might be.


	2. Jeremy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this chapter we introduce Jeremy

"Wait! Don't eat that!"

Jeremy looked up to see a girl with curly purple streaked hair looking at him with alarm. He looked back, as startled by her sudden appearance as he was by the concern in her voice. Jeremy had arrived at the shuttleport almost two hours early and sat on one of the benches to wait. For security, all flights had been canceled that day. The only people allowed inside were the Space Fight cadets their families, and the atrium had been empty, silent except for the squeak of the sanitation bot cleaning the floors and the happy voices from the monitors. The ads showed so often that Jeremy could recite them all verbatim. 

_Blast off on the trip of a lifetime! The mountains of Sanctum are waiting for you. Just one parsec away!_

_It's always sunny on Panama, the planet closest to the sun!_

Every three of four minutes, the mystical travel images were replaced by a calming image of space with relaxing music accompanying the gentle light of the stars. Then the music would turn shrill and urgent as the huge ship appeared in the background, followed by another, then another. As the first one filled the screen, it released a storm of exploding bomb. _The Revenants are coming. Will you let them in without a fight? The Space Fight Fleet needs you!_

It had been two years since the last attack. One that had targeted Jeremy's home planet, Ginus. Everyone knew it was just a matter of time before the Revenants arrived again. But this time, Jeremy wouldn't be cowering at home. He'd be training to fight back.

Jeremy realized the purple haired girl was still watching him, and he looked down at the roll his mother had tucked into his bag that morning. "Why shouldn't I eat this?"

"Because you're going to vomit the moment we hit escape velocity."

"Oh, right," Jeremy said, blushing as he carefully re-wrapped the roll in the cloth napkin. It was the one with blue flowers, his favorite. He wondered if his mother had done that on purpose, sending him off with a piece of home.

"Don't worry about it." The girl smiled kindly. "I've never been on a shuttle either. I just did a bunch of research on the planet travel."

Jeremy stood and ran his hands through his hair, a nervous tic he'd never been able to break. "That was a good idea," he said, relieved that he wouldn't be the only space sick person. He'd never even left F territory, the remotest province on Ginus, let alone off the planet. His family had always been miners, and when he'd received his acceptance letter from the Academy, he'd been days away from signing a ten year contract with the mining company. Ten years of working twelve hour days more than four hundred miles below frozen ground. He still couldn't believe his luck. Ending up in the mines had bee his greatest fear, but no matter how hard he'd tried, he couldn't figure out a different solution. No one ever born on Ginus ever got off of Ginus.

Until now.

He wished he'd one more research himself. Jeremy was used to being the knowledgeable one; he couldn't count the number of times he'd been beat up after school for asking "pointless questions" that kept the instructor from releasing the class early. One time, while applying medicine to Jeremy's swollen eye, his mother had gently suggested that maybe it might be better to save his questions for the library, but he knew that would never work. When something sparked Jeremy's interest, it quickly took over all other thoughts.. including how he bruises easily.

A pale girl came up to Jeremy and the purple haired girl. "Are you also headed to the Academy?" she asked, looking a bit nervous.

"Yes." Jeremy bowed is head, the proper way to great a peer on Ginus. "I'm Jeremy."

She returned the gesture. "Mhairi.

Once the girl with purple hair introduced herself as Sola, Mhairi case a worried look over her shoulder at a man and woman, still bundled in their snow covered wraps, hovering near the wall. "I should probably go say goodbye to my parents. I don't want everyone to know they came with me."

Sola smiled. "Mine would've come if they could have afforded it. It's not every day the first group of Ginusians depart for the Space Fight Academy."

"It sounds like you're reading from your memoir," Jeremy said, careful to keep his tone light so she wouldn't think he was mocking her. Because Sola was right. As important as it sounded to say aloud, they were making history. He just hoped he wouldn't let anyone down.

For centuries, Purgatory had been the only inhabited planet in the solar system. However, as technology evolved, the Purgatorians terraformed the first settlements on tropical Panama and started mining outposts on toxic Titan and frozen Ginus. The poor Purgatorians who emigrated to work on these planets became known as Settlers. After a few generations, the number of Settlers far exceeded that of the Purgatorian business owners, and the Settlers began to push for self rule, launching campaigns for independence that had ended fruitlessly but peacefully on Panama and resulted in was on Ginus and Titan.

In the aftermath, the Space Fight Federation had put strict rules in place to prevent further uprisings. Settlers weren't allowed to vote, attend Purgatorian colleges, start businesses, or even take legal action against Purgatorians. And while they could enlist in the infantry, they couldn't hold any other positions in the Space Fight Fleet, let alone apply to the Academy.

However, The Space Fight commander had created shock waves last year with a new policy that allowed any Settler between the age of sixteen and eighteen to apply to the Academy. Some people on Ginus scoffed at eh notion that the commander had suddenly become open minded; they claimed that the Revenant attacks had simply created a need for more officers. But Jeremy believed what the commander Jett had said in his now famous speech, that soldiers would have more faith in their leaders if their superior officers came from their home planet and that they were untapped pools of talent across the solar system.

Still, that hadn't been enough to bring everyone on board. There'd been considerable opposition on Purgatory , especially once it had been announced that, after centuries of admitting eighty new Purgatorians every year, the Academy would now accept twenty cadets from each of the four planets. The most vocal opponent was an admiral named Larz Standhill, who claimed that opening the Academy to Settlers would weaken the Space Fight Fleet.

Jeremy couldn't wait to prove him wrong.

Over the next half hour, the other Ginusian cadets arrived. A few lived locally in Hansgard, the capital city, but most had clearly traveled a long distance to the shuttleport. One boy was trembling so much the others assumed he had frostbite and all piled their coats on top of him. But it turned out he was just nervous.

"Do you know when we get our squadron assignments?" Mhairi asked from the bench where she'd slumped down surrounding her bags. Jeremy felt a tingle of excitement. Long before he had even dreamed about attending the Academy, he'd hear stories about the tournament, an intense competition among cadets. Students were broken up into squadrons of four and assigned roles based on a notorious aptitude exam: either captain, pilot, technology officer, or intelligence officer. The winning squadron was always featured in the news memos around the system, heralded as the next generation of heroes training to fight the Revenants.

"I'm not sure," Sola said. For the first time since her arrival, she sounded slightly nervous. "Btt I definitely want to be a pilot."

"Really?" Mhairi said, sounding impressed. "Have you actually flown before?"

Sola shook her head. "No, but I think that after the aptitude exam.."

A pale boy with shoulder length brown hair cut her off with a snort. "You'll be lucky to finish the aptitude exam." He was the only one of them with a link, and he didn't look up when he spoke. Jeremy considered asking the boy if he could borrow the link to send his mother a message. Just to let her know he'd made it to Hansgard safely. But after hearing him speak. Jeremy thought better of it.

"Excuse em?" Sola said, eyebrows raised. 

"It's nothing personal," the boy said, finally looking up from his device. "But we need to accept the facts. We're in way over our heads. The Purgatorian kids have been preparing for the aptitude exam since birth."

A few of the cadets exchanged nervous glances while Sola shot the boy a withering look that cemented Jeremy's favorable opinion of her. "You can't prepare for the exam," she said. "It measures natural aptitude."

"Really?" the boy scoffed. "In that case, why do they wealthiest Purgatorians hire Academy instructors to tutor their kids? My uncle worked on Purgatory, so he saw it firsthand. You have no idea what we're going up against."

"Speak for yourself," Sola said raising her chin. "Personally, I'm excited to put those Purgatorian snobs in their place."

Most of the other murmured their agreement, and despite the knot of anxiety in his stomach, Jeremy nodded. He couldn't let himself be intimidated. Not after he'd worked so hard to get here, studying late into the night while his mother scrubbed floors for fourteen hours a day to support him.

with the time difference, it'd be evening in F Territory by now. Jeremy imagined his mother alone in their tiny house, warming her hands around a cup of tea as the clanking of the radiator filled the room with more noise than heat. What had she eaten for dinner? Jeremy's heart cramped as he pictured her setting the table for one; one plate, one fork, one knife, and one carefully folded cloth napkin. What would she do for the rest of the evening with no one to talk to? She'd never become close with any of their neighbors. Her long shifts cleaning at the mining company's head building didn't allow a lot of socializing. Jeremy couldn't quit remember a time when his mother hadn't looked weary. Yet when he'd suggested that he give up on the scholarship and stay home, her eyes had grown furious more than he's ever seen before. "No," she'd said, trembling slightly as she placed her hand on his are. "You have to go. You deserve so much better than this." She'd gestured around the furnished and spotless home.

"But what about you? Won't you be lonely?"

"I'll be fine." She'd forced a smile. "How can i be lonely when I have so many wonderful thoughts to keep me company? All I have to do is look up at the sky, and I'll be able to picture you at the Academy learning to be a hero."

Jeremy looked around the crowd of new cadets. A few were nervous; some affected the air of indifference, seemingly unruffled be prospect of boarding a shuttle bound for the Academy's classified location; and a few stood still, shoulders back as if they were waiting to be inspected. Perhaps some of the would become heroes the next time they fought the Revenants. And perhaps, Jeremy suppressed a shiver, some would sacrifice everything and become another name on the fallen heroes list.

"Who's that?" Sola asked faintly, gesturing to a boy talking to a Space Fight Officer on the other side of the suttleport. "There are already twenty of us here." Much had been made inthe news about the twenty Ginusians headed for the Academy, though none of their names had been released.

Jeremy watched as the boy nodded, then began making his way towards the others. "Maybe they added one more last minute," Jeremy said. But as they boy got closer, it became clear that he wasn't Ginusian. Unlike the other new cadets who looked around the suttleport with wonder or nonchalance, he seemed genuinely relaxed. And instead of layers of wool and fur, he wore a thin black jacket that could only be thermal layered, material a hundred times warmer than fur and about a thousand times more expensive. The local mine owner wore a similar jacket on his yearly visit from Purgatory.

Jeremy automatically stiffened, bracing for the hint of hate he'd come to expect from most Purgatorians, but to his surprise, the boy smiled warmly as he approached the group. He had fair skin, smooth dark hair, and- as Jeremy noticed when the boy came to a stop next to Sola- light green eyes. "Are you all heading to the Academy?" the boy asked.

"We are," Sola said with a small smile, though she looked a bit warier than before.

"Oh, good. I thought I was late. I'm Robin."

"Sola." She'd just started to bow her head when Robin extended his hand. Sola just looked at it, startled by the gesture.

Robin's friendly smile faded a fraction as confusion flashed across his face. Jeremy remembered that customs were different on Purgatory, where most people didn't spend their days elbow deep in poisonous liquid, the by product of fyron and the gas that allowed miners to extract if from the ground.

"I'm Jeremy," he said, grasping the boy's hand.

"Nice to meet you," Robin said. His smile returned and his green eyes lightened, making Jeremy's stomach tingle slightly. He wasn't used to boys who looked like Robin smiling at him like that.

"Where are you from?" Sola asked. She was clearly trying to sound curious but couldn't keep a note of suspicion out of her voice.

"I"m from Enterpro, on Purgatory," Robin said cheerfully. "I was just here for pilot training. There's a school in the Ginusian tundra." He looked around the group, and when no one responded, he continued. "Less crowded airspace." 

A few of the Ginusians exchanged nervous looks while the boy with the link smiled smugly, pleased to have been proven right. "Thought you'd get a head start?" Sola asked.

Robin grinned sheepishly, revealing dimples that made the tingle in Jeremy's stomach spread to his chest. "I'm not sure it counts as a head start. I was there for three weeks and I never managed to land without my instructor grabbing the controls. I didn't know there were so many colorful curse words on Ginus."

Sola tried to exchange an irritated glance with Jeremy, but he pretended not to notice.

"Good morning, cadets!" a deep voice boomed. A lean white haired man in the Space Fight uniform walked toward them, the officer Robin had been speaking with before. "I'm Sergeant Voight, one of the deans at the Academy. I'll be escorting you on the shuttle."  
Jeremy stood up straighter, and out of the corner of his eye he saw most of the others do the same. This was it. From this point forward, everything they said or did would be evaluated. Only a portion of the cadets would enter the Space Fights Fleet as officers when they graduated in three years. At the end of their first year, anyone with middling grades, or who fared badly in the tournament, would be transferred to a less competitive training program. But it wasn't just Jeremy's future at stake; it was up to this first class of cadets to prove the Ginusians belonged at the Academy and in the upper ranks of the Space Fights Fleet.

Sergeant Voight fiddled with a band on his wrist until a block of translucent text appeared in the air. A list of names and holopics of faces. Jeremy's heart began to pound. It was really happening. He was really heading to the Academy. "All right, let's see who we have.." Voight said, waving his finger through the air to scroll. "Cadet Trembo."

Sola stepped forward. "Here."

Voight looked from her to the holopic of her face, then swiped her name, turning the text blue. "Cadet Feng." 

A short boy with broad shoulders raised a arm. "Here."

Again, Voight's eyes darted from the holopic to the cadet, confirming his identity. "Cadet Chetri."

Jeremy cleared his throat. "Here," he said, his voice slightly higher than usual.

Instead of looking at the holopic, Voight kept his gaze fixed on Jeremy. Jeremy moved uneasily as worry knotted his stomach. Had there been some mistake? What if his acceptance notice had been meant for someone else?

Voight gave him an appraising look. "Interesting.. so this is the Ginusian who received the highest score onthe entrance exam. I'll be keeping my eye on you, Chetri." Voight smiled, and the knot of worry in Jeremy's stomach loosened slightly, replaced by a sensation he wasn't used to. Pride. But the his cheeks flushed as he heard the other cadets start to whisper as they stared at him curiously. He didn't want them to think he was conceited; there was a lot more to becoming a cadet than doing well on the exam.

Voight ran through the rest of the cadets, skipping over Robin, who'd apparently checked in with him earlier. "All right, cadets, time to go. Come with me," Voight said. 

The cadets put their packs over their shoulders and followed Sergeant Voight through the atrium toward a door flanked by tow uniformed officers. They saluted him and stepped aside as the door slid open.

"So what did you score?" Sola asked, falling into step next to Arran.

He glanced around before saying, "two twenty three"

The whispers stopped, replaced by silence. "two hundred twenty three," Sola repeated after a long moment. "Whoa."

A few minutes later, Jeremy had put his pack in the compartment under his seat and was doing his best to secure his harness without fumbling. The shuttle's cabin was circular, with about two dozen seats arranged around the perimeter. Jeremy had taken the first empty seat he'd seen, eager to escape the whispers of the other cadets.

The buckle bounced out of the fastener, and Jeremy suppressed a groan. He tried again, still without success, as he wondered which of the other passengers would be the first to notice that the kid who'd scored a 223 couldn't work the harness.

Something soft brushed against his arm. "It goes in this way," Robin said, yanking on the two shoulder straps fastening the belt into the buckle at Jeremy's waist.

"Thanks," Jeremy said. Despite his relief, the heat in his cheeks grew.

"No problem." Robin went back into his own seat and fastened the buckle in one fluid motion.

A spft ding rang from the speakers, followed by a programmed female voice. " _Hello, and welcome aboard this this intersystem shuttle flight to... destination classified."_ A few of the cadets exchanged excited looks. " _Enjoy your journey."_

Jeremy grinned, his nervousness draining away. He forced himself to keep his eyes open during the launch even if it felt like every bone in his body was being jolted out of place. He didn't want to miss the moment when the shuttle shot out of the Ginus' atmosphere, carrying Jeremy off the planet for the very first time in his life.

In the window across from him, the snow filled skyline of Hansgard shrank. The tundra spread out endlessly in all directions, sparsely dotted with odd homestead of mining facility. An ache filled Jeremy's chest as he thought about his mother sitting at home in their tiny home a three days' journey away. He pictured her drinking her tea, staring at the gray sky out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the shuttle.

The rattling stopped, leaving everything strangely still and quiet. The windows were no longer filled with swirling snow and clouds, they were full of stars. 

The harness straps dug into Jeremy's shoulders as he floated up from his seat, his head spinning from the launch, the strange sensation of zero gravity... and something else. They hazy gray planet grew smaller until it became just another shape among the stars, and all at one, Jeremy understood what it really meant to live on the remotest planet in the solar system. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Jeremy glanced at Robin. His eyes were closed, a peaceful expression on his face.

Jeremy smiled, realizing that for the first time ever, he felt completely weightless. And completely free.


	3. Wynonna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wynonna is Introduced

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up Wynonna and Waverly are not related in this

_"Proceed to the auditorium. First year orientation begins in ten minutes. Based on your location, estimated travel time is eight minutes."_ Wynonna flinched as the voice rang in her ear. Upon arriving at the Academy, every new cadet had been given a link and fitted it with a monitor that provided personalized instructions.

It was the most ridiculous device Wynonna had ever seen. Surely anyone smart enough to gain admission to the Academy could get through the day without a machine telling them what to do.

She tugged at her strangely constrictive jacket with its two rows of buttons, then glanced at the badge on the right side of her chest.

_Wynonna Earp_  
_Squadron: Unknown  
_ _Rank: Unknown_

The brightly lit corridor was full of uniformed cadets. The second and third year students, all from Purgatory, smiled widely as the jostled the crowed to catch up with friends. The first years walked quietly in groups of three or four, sticking close to their new roommates, all in gray uniforms with a badge like Wynonna's.

There were people everywhere she looked, but Wynonna had never felt so alone in her entire life. She could've walked to orientation with her roommates, but she was in no hurry to use her fake Panamaian accent at length. So far, she'd managed to avoid speaking more than a sentence or two since boarding the shuttle to the Academy.

Despite years of preparation, she found everything about the Academy bewildering, from the taps the sensed your body temperature to the attendants zipping through the halls, their remarkably human voices at odds with their smooth, expressionless metal faces. She couldn't even walk down the corridor without feeling awkward. The Academy was built in a rotating space station with artificial gravity that was stronger than the gravity on her home planet. So, despite all the conditioning she'd come to maximize her strength and endurance, she was exhausted after just a few hours of wandering around the Academy.

Once she reached the auditorium, she took the first seat she could find and tried to catch her breath as she stared out the enormous windows, watching jagged chunks of ice zoom past, deflected by the Academy's shields. Eighty first year cadets filed into seats facing a stage on which two men and a woman stood talking quietly among themselves.

Wynonna felt a tremor of excitement. _I made it_ , she thought. _I'm actually hear._ On the shuttle from Panama, the windows had gone dark shortly after takeoff. Even the cadets weren't permitted to know the exact location of the Academy.

She watched the rest of the first year cadets file into the auditorium. Some were excited, the practically bounced down the aisle as they searched for an empty seat. Others moved more hesitantly, looking trepidation from one chair to another as if this were a test they hadn't prepared for. One nervous looking girl caught Wynonna's eye and smiled, but Wynonna kept her face placid as she turned away.

The woman onstage stepped forward, and the buzz of background noise died away.

"I'm Admiral Gibson, Superintendent of the Space Fight Academy, and it's my honor to welcome you to the Space Fight Fleet. Today marks one of the most significant transitions of your lives. You're no longer civilians. From this moment forward, you belong to the most elite force in the solar system. Over the past few centuries, the Space Fight Fleet has explored our world, organized settlements, and ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity." Next to Wynonna , a few cadets exchanged wary looks. She assumed they were Settlers from the outer planets that, according to her tutors, hadn't experienced much peace of prosperity. The rebellions on Ginus and Titian had been subdued with ruthless violence. "But now the Fleet has been charged with the most important task: protecting our species from those who wish to destroy us."

Wynonna's heart began to beat angrily, but after a few deep breaths, her pulse returned to normal. She'd spent years practicing relaxation techniques for just this purpose.

"We know that it's just a matter of time beofre the next attack, and our best line of defense is you. The future commander of the Space Fight Fleet is somewhere in this room. As is the engineer who'll design the weapons we need to win the war. There's a role for everyone in the fight against the Revenants, though each person might be on a slightly different path. At the end of your first year, we'll assess your performance and determine the best use of your abilities. Some of you will return to the Academy for two more years to train as officers, while others will be reassigned to programs better suited to your strengths."

Nervous whispers flew through the crowd. Admiral Gibson cleared her throat sharply, and the room quieted down. "Classes begin tomorrow, right after the aptitude test. Based on the results of this exam, you'll be placed in squadrons, each with a captain, pilot, technology officer, and intelligence officer. You'll train in simulcrafts, and every term, your squadron will compete in the tournament designed to test your intelligence, creativity, temperament, and leadership skills. Each week, you'll go head to head against another squadron, and the victor will advance to the next round.

"At the end of each term, the winning squadron will have the privilege of carrying out a mission in an actual fightercraft instead of a simulator. They will also be exempt from the usual review process and automatically continue their officer training at the Academy."

The other first years exchanged anxious and excited looks. But for Wynonna, the prospect of distinguishing herself to the fleet leadership meant nothing. And if she got her way, none of the cadets in this room would ever become officers.

"Your performance in the tournament matters, but your academic performance is equally important, and it's essential that you devote as much energy to your studies as you do to squadron training." Wynonna looked around the crowded auditorium, cringing slightly as she imagined being locked in a tiny simulcraft with three other cadets for hours on end.

"With that business concluded, it's my privilege to introduce our special guest. Please welcome Xavier Dolls, the commander of Fleet." Applause filled the room as the elder of the two men onstage stepped forward. "Thank you, Admiral, and welcome, cadets. It's a pleasure to be here on this momentous occasion. After five hundred years of turning out some of the finest Purgatorian officers in history, the Academy now has the privilege of training cadets from all four planets in the system." He paused and smiled slightly as ripple of excitement passed through certain sections of the auditorium. "We've clung to outdated traditions for too long, and in doing so, countless talented individuals have missed the opportunity to serve the Space Federation. That's why I couldn't be prouder to be standing her in front of the next generation of fleet leaders from Purgatory, Titian, Panama, and Ginus." More applause broke out, the the Commander Dolls nodded. "You've all worked incredibly hard to get here, and I congratulate you on achievement."

He paused, and his expression hardened. "But the real challenge has just begun. Many of you are used to being the brightest students in your communities. Now you are among equals, people as intelligent and as driven as you are, and your instructors are leaders in their fields. They are not here to coddle you. They are here to challenge you, to push you to your mental and physical limits so you can achieve your fullest potential. The most important thing to remember that you are not here to earn individual glory. You are here because the twenty billion people in our solar system have entrusted us with the survival of our race."

All around the auditorium, the windows darkened and grew opaque. The stars faded as a series of images flashed across several screens: the captial of Purgatory shrouded in smoke as its famous skyline burned; a little girl on Ginus staring up at a massive ship hovering on the horizon; piles of bodies in the streets of Hansgard. The whispers stopped as the room filled with a heavy, uneasy silence. 

Dread and disgust filled Wynonna's stomach. This was it. She knew she'd have to face this moments at some point, but she didn't think it would happen on the very first day. 

"It's been two years since the last attack, but we know it's just a matter of time before the Revenants return. Our enemy come from a harsh system with limited resources a couple light years away. The survival of their species is all that matters, and they don't care how many of their own they have to sacrifice to secure the resources they need. They certainly don't care how many of us they have to kill. Bus the next time the Revenants attack, we'll be ready for them. That's why you're all here. After three years of intense training, the best of you will be prepared to enter the fleet as officers and join the fight to protect our people." The grisly images faded, and the window grew transparent again, but this time, the twinkling stars seemed more menacing than beautiful. "I've spoken long enough. I believe it's almost time for dinner. Is that right, Admiral Gibson?"

She nodded curtly. "You are all dismissed."

Wynonna stood up and followed the other cadets filing out of their row to join the crowd heading back toward the dorms. The mood had changed noticeably, and those who spoke did so in hushed tones.

"I hate it when they show those snaps," said a tall boy with dark skin and a serious expression.

Out of the corner of her eye, Wynonna saw his companion's jaw tighten. "I think they should show them everyday. Everyone gets so caught up in rankings and the tournament, they forget that we're not here to win prizes. We're here to learn how to kill Revenants."

Murderers. The word flashed through Wynonna's mind with such intensity, she couldn't believe it didn't escape through her skull.

"Hey, Wynonna," a girl said falling into step next to her. It was one of her roommates, Mercedes, a girl from Panama. "Are you headed back to our rooms to change?" Mercedes tugged on the sleeve of her uniform. "I'm glad we don't have to wear these to dinner. This is not a good look on me. What do you think we are heaving? It's not going to be weird Purgatorian food, is it? Because there is no way I'm going to survive on crystallized jellycrab for three years. Do you want to walk over together?"

"I'm not going," Wynonna said carefully. She hated using her fake accent in front of real Panamaians. "I'm not that hungry."

Mercedes' face fell, but Wynonna refused to let herself feel guilty. She wasn't here t make friends. All that mattered was her mission.

Wynonna turned and began to walk in the other direction, exhaling as the sound of footsteps and chatter grew fainter. It was time to get to work. If she didn't start now, her entire mission would be in vain. Her head began to swim as she thought of all the people counting on her and what would happen if she failed. _Get it together_ , she told herself as she placed a steady hand on the wall and tried to take deep breaths.

"Are you all right?" A face was staring down at her. Her vision was still too blurry to make out the expression, but she could here the concern in his voice.

"Yes..I'm fine.." she said carefully, hoping her accent sounded natural enough to avoid suspicion.

"Would you like me to walk you to the infirmary? You probably need to lie down for a bit. These trans-system flights can be brutal." The boy was still staring at her intently, as if scanning for some ailment.

"I'm fine," she repeated, wishing she could keep her voice from shaking. She didn't like the way this boy was looking at her. Like she had something to hide. "you're right. It was a long trip from Panama." She prayed he was from one of the other planets and wouldn't start asking questions about her supposed home. 

To her relief he nodded and said, "Get some rest. You'll feel better soon."

Wynonna forced a smile and held it until the boy walked away, the let out a long breath. She'd memorized lots of facts about Panama, but she wasn't eager to put them to the test. Because Wynonna wasn't from Panama. Or Purgatory. She was from a planet called Ghost River, thought the boy wouldn't recognize that name. No one from this system would. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all are enjoying so far, and sorry if it seems a bit slow like the story isn't really moving along yet. getting the characters right is what I'm really going for which is hard.


	4. Waverly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly's "Introduction"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't get mad at me for making Champ seem like a decent guy.. haha just give it a few chapters. It'll all turn around :)

Nervous chatter filled the corridor as the cadets headed toward the Hive for the aptitude test, but Waverly's heart was beating far to quickly to allow for conversation. The exam was designed to test natural ability, which meant that, technically, there was no way to study for it. However, in order to win a coveted captain assignment, you had to demonstrate both depth and breadth of knowledge, which is why she and everyone she knew had used a tutor. But unlike her fellow Purgatorians, Waverly didn't just want to make captain... her entire future depended on it.

As the cadets began to file into the Hive, an enormous room in the center of the Academy, the chatter gave way to whispers. The screens of hundreds of workspaces were glowing in the dimly lit, windowless room. The cadets' badges had also begun to glow, and Waverly stiffened, wondering who'd be the first to recognize her last name. But to her relief, it seemed like everyone was too busy choosing a workspace to notice.

_You've taken hundreds of sample exams_ , she told herself as she slipped into an empty seat. _It's going to be fine._ Except the "fine" wouldn't be enough. Waverly closed her eyes as the words that had been haunting her for months grew louder.

_You just weren't good enough._

The fist few hours after receiving her Academy acceptance letter had been the happiest of Waverly's life. Her years of studying for the entrance exam had paid off. She was one step close to her dream of becoming a Space Fight Fleet Officer just like her mother, Admiral Gibson, who'd had a legendary career in the expeditionary force before becoming the superintendent of the Academy. But that night, her mother had called Waverly into her study and, with her trademark directness, explained that Waverly hadn't initially been accepted and that she had used her influence to overrule the admissions committee's decision.

"You just weren't good enough," Admiral Gibson had said matter of factly while Waverly stood there trying to breathe as the world collapsed around her. She'd somehow managed to maintain her composure while her mother warned her that she wouldn't intercede on Waverly's behalf again. "If you don't do well enough to continue on the second year, there's nothing I can do about it."

"I'll work harder," Waverly had said, trying to keep her voice from quavering. Nothing irritated Admiral Gibson more than tears. "I'll prove that I belong at the Academy. I'll.. I'll make captain."

Her mother nodded. "Good. Because if you don't stay on the officer track, it's going to reflect very poorly on me. It's one thing to pull strings for someone with potential, it's another to do so for someone in over her head." And then it began.

" _Cadets, please take your seats. The exam will begin in two minutes,"_ an automated female voice announced. Waverly took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders a few times. This was it. If she made captain, her mother would have no reason to doubt her, and she'd stop feeling like a fraud.

The dim overhead lights went out, and darkness fell over the room. The Hive was designed to keep people from looking at one another's screens, but Waverly had no interest in what anyone else was doing. This was a competition with herself.

A prompt on the screen asked her to log in. _Cadet identified: Waverly Gibson._

The test mixed all subjects together and adapted to the taker in order to produce the most complete picture of a cadet's ability. If you showed potential in one area, the test would feed you more related questions until they became too difficult to answer. The longer the exam lasted, the better, as it meant you had demonstrated a strong grasp of many different subjects.

Waverly breezed through the first few challenges: simple multi-variable calculus, a geometric proof, and an activity that simulated landing a fightercraft in the middle of an anticyclonic storm.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of movement and a snippet of conversation. "Sit down and start immediately," a voice whispered urgently. "You're already ten minutes behind."

That was enough to momentarily grab Waverly's attention. Who'd showed up late to the aptitude test? In the darkness, she could just make out the shape of a girl looking slightly flustered. "I'm sorry. I got lost. Should I sit here?"

"Yes," the voice hissed. "And start now."

Waverly turned her attention back to her screen as a new challenge appeared, and for the next two hours, she forgot about the girl. She was vaguely aware of people leaving as their tests ended, but she knew better than to look around the room to see how many remained. As she identified verbs in a madeup language, decoded an encrypted message, and calculated the escape velocity for Ginus, she felt the Hive emptying. She hazarded a glance around the room and was rewarded with the sight of a sea of vacant seats. All except for one.

The girl who'd arrived late was still there.

Waverly pushed her annoyance aside and spent the next ten minutes calibrating a long range laser that had been hacked by the enemy. The girl didn't matter. She'd taken enough practice exams to know that she was doing extremely well, certainly well enough to secure a spot as one of the squadron captains.

She finished her calculation, pressed complete, and the words of "End of Exam," flashed across the screen. She let out a sigh of relief. 

Waverly hesitated before glancing around the room. What if the boy lasted longer than she had? She looked up and smiled. She was completely alone.

Waverly grinned as she entered the first year common room. Circular star filled windows lined one wall, while another was hung with paintings of famous Space Fleet victories. It felt both cozy and elegant, with upholstered couches and chairs arranged in clusters. An attendant zipped back and forth, delivering steaming cups of spineberry tea and delicate, colorful sugar discs. It seemed so grown up, the common room at her prep school on Purgatory had always been cluttered with discarded snack wrappers and sports equipment, the chairs covered with stains the defied explanation.

Most of the cadets milled about nervously, unsure of where they were supposed to sit and whom they were meant to talk to while they waited for their squadron assignments. Luckily, Waverly was meeting some people she knew from home, including her boyfriend, Champ. A few of the other cadets did double takes when they spotted the name on Waverly's badge, but they were either too polite or too shy to say anything.

"Over here, Wave!" a voice called to see Steph waving to her from one of the couches. Normally, Waverly tired to limit the time she spent with hyper competitive Steph, but it was nice to see a familiar, if not wholly comforting, face.

Steph didn't even wait for Waverly to sit down before the inquisition began. "Were you the last one to finish?" she asked.

"I think so," Waverly said airily, as she hadn't scanned every corner of the dark room before heading out.

"What a wonderful surprise," Steph said in the syrupy sweet voice that made Waverly bristle. Though for once in her life, Waverly was in too good a mood to let Steph get under her skin. Besides, it was hard to begrudge Steph for feeling resentful. Every kid on Purgatory grew up fantasizing about attending the Academy, making captain, and leading their squadron to victory in the famous tournament.

\Waverly smiled at Steph and gave what she hoped was a careless shrug "We'll see. I don't think it's healthy to get too worked up about this stuff," she said with a feigned nonchalance that she knew would drive Steph crazy.

Someone snickered, and Waverly turned to see a strikingly good looking boy with light brown skin, high cheekbones, and an amused grin. "Oh, really?" Perry said as he dropped into the empty chair next to the couch. "What about the time you shoved me off the track when it looked like I was going to beat you in drills?"

"That's slander, Perry,?" Waverly said with a small smile.

"They crancked up the wind that day. It was a rogue gust that blew you off the track."

"A rogue gust. Right. They why did I have an elbow shaped bruise on my ribs the next day?"

"Perry, how'd you do?" Steph cut in, as she tended to do whenever the conversation veered away from her.

"I don't think I did too badly," Perry said, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smile. "I had some help."

Stephs's eyes narrowed. "Wait. Did you...?"

"Shhh." Perry glanced over his shoulder, the lowered his voice. "Not here."

"You had some, and you didn't tell me?" Steph said indignantly, not bothering to speak any quieter.

"Had what?" Waverly asked, looking from Steph to Perry. 

Perry closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "We really, can't talk about it here."

"Talk about what?" Waverly whispered. She knew she was being annoying, but she hated the Steph knew something she didn't.

"Fine," Perry said with a huff. "I gave myself a little boost before the aptitude test. It's not a big deal. We've been doing it for ages."

"Plum dust," Steph clarified, still not bothering to lower her voice.

Waverly stared at the, her brain racing to make sense of what she'd just heard. They'd been taking plum dust? Was this why she'd always felt like she was struggling? Of course she'd never been quite able to keep up; she'd been competing against people on enhancements.

Perry must've seen the look of surprise on Waverly's face because he smiled and said, "Though I have to say, it worked better than ever this time. It was like my brain went into hyperdrive."

I can't believe you didn't offer us any," Steph said, narrowing her blue eyes.

Perry shot Steph a warning look. "You'd better be quiet or else I'm not going to share what I have left." He caught Waverly's eye and shook his head. "Look we've scandalized poor Waves heere. Don't worry Captain Gibson, it's safe to use once in a while."

"Greetings, fellow cadets!" Champ's voice boomed. Before Waverly realized what was happening, he'd scooped her off the couch and pulled her with him into one of the armchairs. "Isn't this place amazing! I can't believe we're really here."

"Champ," Waverly cried, trying wriggle free as two people on a nearby couch exchanged amused looks. She wanted to make a name for herself as one of the promising cadets at the Academy, not as the girl who always sat in her boyfriend's lap. "Not now."

"What's the matter, Wave?" he asked, sounding hurt. "I ran all the way over here so we'd be together for the assignments. I wan to see the look on your face when you make captain."

The assurance in his voice was enough to chase away her irritation. He knew how hard shed worked, how much she needed this. She squeezed his hand. "Nothing's wrong. It's just that people are watching."

"I don't know that I'd call them _people,_ necessarily," Steph said before turning to the attendant gliding by. "Can I have a spineberry tea?

"Come on, Steph," Champ said with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

She tossed her blond curls over her shoulder. "I just mean you shouldn't worry what some Edgers from the outer planets think about you."

"Steph, cut it out," Waverly said, cringing at the ugly word for Settler before glancing at the cadets on the nearby couch, a boy and girl staring nervously at the blank squadron board. Despite the fact that they wore the same uniform Waverly and her friends, she could tell at a glance they were from Titan. The girl's closely cropped hair and they boy's dry skin made it clear that they'd come from a planet with a severe water shortage. "They'll hear you."

"Relax, Waves," Steph said with exaggerated calm. "I think they have bigger things to worry about than eavesdropping on our private conversations."

"Yes, like their grooming habits," Perry whispered with a grin as he inclined his head toward the other couch.

"You should go say hello, Perry," Champ said, wrapping his arms around Waverly. "I thought you said you wanted to hook up with a Settler. Shouldn't you be off stalking your next conquest?"

Steph's churls swished around her face as she shuddered. "You couldn't pay me enough to hook up with a Settler."

Perry raised one of his perfectly arched eyebrows. "What about that time we all went on holiday to Panama?"

"That's different, and you know it," Steph said, blushing.

At that moment, the attendant glided up with Steph's tea.

She smiled gratefully, clearly glad for an excuse to collect herself, and took a small sip before speaking again. "Panama people don't want to kill us all in our sleeps."

"Neither do people from Ginus and Titan," Waverly said. "Robin just spent three weeks on Ginus and said that everyone was really nice."

"That's because that last rebellion was hundreds of years ago on Ginus," Champ said. "If he'd been training on Titan, he'd feel differently. A Purgatorian family was murdered last year."

"Do we know what time they're posting the squadron assignments?" Waverly asked, eager to change the topic of conversation grew too heated.

Perry's eyes suddenly darted toward the screen, which was glowing to life. "Right now, it appears."

Waverly leapt to her feet, her heart slamming against her chest. This was it. In a few moments, she'd know whether she'd redeemed herself by making captain or whether she'd be forced to hear those crushing words one more time..." _You just weren't quite good enough."_

Grid lines appeared on the screen, forming a chart with the words _Squadron 1_ at the top. A few seconds later, names began to populate the cells below.

The room filled with murmurs of pleasure and frustration. Out of the corner of her eye, Waverly saw a squealing girl embrace her slightly dazed but smiling friend while a nearby boy buried his head in his hands. "What do you think? Intelligence or tech?" Champ whispered, nodding at the boy. For reasons no one could quite articulate, intelligence officer and tech officer were seen as less prestigious than pilot or, of course, captain.

But Waverly couldn't spare more than a glance at the boy before turning her attention back to the screen. At any moment, her name would appear, cementing her future. 

"Thank Antares," Perry said under his breath as the badge on his chest glowed to life and updated.

_Perry Crofte  
_ _Pilot  
_ _Squadron 3  
_ _Rank: Unknown_

"Congrats," Waverly whispered. While she'd never be satisfied with anything other than captain, she knew this was what Perry wanted.

She took a deep breath and tried to savor the moment. Every famous military career had begun this way, with no name cadets crowding around the screen in the common room desperate for the chance to prove themselves.

A minute later, the fourth name appeared under Squadron 11. Steph squealed when she saw her name in the captain slot. "Well done, my friend," Perry said, still grinning and jubilant over his own assignment.

Champ grabbed Waverly's hand and squeezed. "You'll be next." Moments later, his name appeared under Squadron 13. He was the captain. Champ let out a whoop and dropped Waverly's hand as he pumped his fists in the air. "Yes!"

"That's great!" Waverly tried o give Champ a hug, but he was jumping up and down too enthusiastically. She grinned at her goofy yet incredibly clever boyfriend and prayed that she was moments away from a similar celebration.

A few minutes later, Squadron 20 appeared on the screen. This was it.

_Jeremy Chetri: Technology Officer  
Wynonna Earp: Intelligence Officer_

The third name appeared, and Champ cursed under his breath. But Waverly barley heard him. She couldn't hear anything. She couldn't even breathe. It was as if someone had opened the airlock, turning the common room into a vacuum.

_Waverly Gibson: Pilot_

Her stomach sank, then twisted itself into a knot. No, she thought, praying that it was a mistake. She'd done so well on the exam. This had to be some kind of system error. 

_Natalie Haught: Captain_

Champ tried to warp his arm around Waverly, but she pulled away as her head started to spin. She tried to take a deep breath, but something seemed to keep the air from reaching her lungs. No, she though again. This cant be happening. After all her hard work, the months and months of constant training, she still wasn't good enough and never would be.

* * *

"I don't know what happened," Waverly said, doing her best to keep her voice steady. "The exam went really well."

On the other side of the desk, her mother surveyed her with an inscrutable expression. Waverly shifted in her uncomfortable chair but managed to stay quiet. Sh'd learned the hard way not to fill the silence with nervous chatter.

Admiral Gibson's office was even more impressive and even more intimidating than Waverly had imagined. The shelves were full of her mothers Fleet medals, and e was an enormous glass case full of antique weapons, including a Ginusian ax and a beautiful old fashioned laser pulse with an ornately decorated handle. Though the most striking feature by far was the glowing holomap of the space system hovering in the air just above the desk.

Just when Waverly thought she'd have to give in and speak first, Admiral Gibson broke the silence. "I'm not sure what to say, Waverly. You assured me that you'd do what it took to make captain."

"I thought I had," Waverly said quietly. Once she'd learned that her mother had orchestrated her acceptance to the Academy, Waverly had put herself on an even stricter training schedule that included two hours of physical conditioning followed by six hours of tutoring in cosmophysics, mechanical engineering, and advanced abstract algebra. But apparently, it hadn't been enough. "I was the last one in the Hive," Waverly continued, taking care not to sound emotional or defensive. Two traits Admiral Gibson despised. "I though that meant.."

"Enough. It doesn't matter now." Her mother's expression hardened. "To continue on to your second year, you'll need excellent grades and your squadron will have to perform extremely well in the tournament. The admissions committee let you in as a favor to me, but you'll have to prove to them that you belong on the officer track."

"I know," Waverly said, unable to keep her voice from trembling. Her mother's disappointment was even harder to bear than her anger. "I won't let you down again."

"See that you don't," her mother said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting I have to get to."

Waverly rose from her chair and left the office without another word. But as she walked back to her room, she felt her disappointment turn to resolve. No matter what it took, she'd prove that she deserved to be at the Academy, that she deserved to become an officer and that started with winning the tournament. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next one will be out June 3rd. Chapter 5 and 6 might get posted late or really early due to me having to travel to Miami on Friday.


	5. Nicole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are actually starting to move along with the character introductions out of the way.

_This was a huge mistake,_ Nicole thought as she wandered down the empty corridor. Just a few minutes ago, it had been packed with the cadets who'd spilled out of the common room after the squadron assignments were posted. Most of them had broken off into groups and headed to the canteen, the simulcrafts, or wherever these kids went for fun during the free period before dinner. But now they'd all dispersed, leaving her to explore on her own.

It was Nicole's second day at the Academy. After she'd discovered her sister's message, she'd gone through Natalie's phone and found departure instructions for the shuttle from Titan. She'd thrown a few things in a bad, jumped on her bike, and raced to the launchport, arriving just seconds before the doors were sealed. She and Natalie were close enough in age and looked so much alike that no one could tell from the ID that they were different people. Still, Nicole couldn't quite believe she was here, and she certainly didn't understand how everyone had made friends so quickly. Classes hadn't started yet, and she'd barley spoken to her roommates- a girl from Ginus, a boy from Panama she'd seen once, and a Purgatorian boy who seemed harmless on his own but unfortunately had a crew of idiotic friends from home who thought it was funny to ask Nicole how gas masks factored into the "mating practices" on Titan.

But Nicole wasn't going to let some shitty Purgatory kids get to her. She glanced down at the word Captain on her uniform badge and smiled. She'd had no idea what to expect from the aptitude test Admiral Gibson had mentioned at orientation, but after a slight hiccup that caused her to arrive late, she'd found it surprisingly easy. And now she was captain of her squadron, which was apparently a big deal at the Academy. She wished everyone on Titan could see her now- the teachers who though she was nothing but trouble, the snobs in the luxury towers who sneered at her dusty clothes. Even Nedley, who only thought of her as a good for nothing delivery girl. Maybe Natalie had been right. Maybe she was smarter than anyone ever gave her credit for

* * *

_Nicole stepped back to admire her handiwork. After a little fiddling, she'd managed to reprogram the attendant to clean dishes instead of pour drinks. She smiled as she watched the battered, slightly rusted machine disinfect ten glasses in under a minute, leaving Nicole free to serve customers. As long as she put the attendant in sleep mode before she left for the night, no one would ever notice._

_Natalie had pulled a lot of strings to get Nicole this job, which was a hell of a lot safer than the other options available to dropouts like her, and it almost paid enough to cover half the rent. But instead of letting Nicole serve drinks and collect the much needed tips, the bar owner, Carl, forced her to clean glasses, claiming that it would cost too much money to reprogram the attendant that'd been pouring drinks for the past ten years. Nicole had offered to do it herself, prompting a warning from Carl to keep her filthy hands off his most valuable possession._

_She'd followed orders for a few weeks, growing more frustrated as she watched customers pocket the change that could've been going to her. If she and Natalie didn't pay rent this month, they were going to get kicked out of their apartment._

_"Did you do that yourself?"_

_Nicole turned to see a man on the other side of the bar gesturing toward the attendant. He was short, with heavy eyebrows and unusually smooth skin, as if he didn't spend much time outside with a gas mask strapped to his face. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, but Nicole wasn't sure why. "Do what?" Nicole asked, confused._

_"Don't pull that shit with me, kid. I can tell that attendant was reprogrammed by an amateur. A pretty talented amateur though."_

_Nicole shot a quick glance over her shoulder at the attendant that was now stacking the clean glasses. "Looks fine to me."_

_"It has the wrong attachments for cleaning. I bet you've never seen a real sanitation bot, have you?"_

_"Can I get you anything to drink?" Nicole asked. eager to change the subject before any of the regular customers walked in._

_"Double nitro."  
_

_Nicole poured the drink and set it in front of the man "Four crypto."_

_The man placed a few coins on the bar. "Keep the change."_

_"Thanks," Nicole said, pocketing the extra money._

_The man gave Nicole an odd look. "You know, I could use someone like you. A problem solver who's not afraid to take risks. You'd make better money than you do in this shithole."_

_Nicole felt a_ _whirl of excitement. If the pay was really good, then maybe Natalie could quit her job and finally focus on studying. "What would I be doing?"_

_"A little of this, a little of that," the man said with a smirk. "Deliveries, mostly. I need someone who's quick on their feet and can come up with creative solutions, especially when the police are around."_

_Thee excitement drained away, replaced by a much more familiar feeling, disappointment. That's why the man look so familiar. He was Randy Nedley, the black market water dealer. Working for him was lucrative, but staggering number of his runners ended up in prison. Yet no matter how many of Nedley's employees they arrested, the police somehow never managed to arrest him. If Nicole were on her own, she might try her odds. But there was no way she'd risk leaving Natalie alone. They were the only family each of them had, and that was worth far more than anything Nedley could pay._

_"Thanks for the offer," Nicole said, trying to sound as nice as possible. From what she'd heard, Nedley wasn't someone you wanted to cross. "But I think I'm going to stick around here."_

_"Suit yourself, kid." Nedley downed his drink and set the empty cup back on the counter. "If you change your mind, you can reach me here." He passed Nicole a card with no name or address, just a number._

_"Will do," Nicole said, placing that card in her pocket. She'd have to get rid of it as soon as possible. If he got pulled over by the police tonight, just having Nedley's number on her could get her arrested._

_During the next few hours, the bar become increasingly crowded, and Nicole's pocket grew heavy with change. If she kept this up, she'd have a real shot at paying the rent in time to avoid eviction. The idea of handing that money over to Natalie warmed Nicole's chest. All she wanted was for her older sister to have a break from worrying, even if the reprieve was brief._

_By the time she normally started cleaning up for the rest of the night, the bar had emptied out except for a drunk couple, who seemed oblivious to the fact that they were the only ones left. Even worse, they hadn't tipped all night, explaining that they were friends of Carl and he's told them never to bother, "Can I get you anything else?" Nicole asked pointedly._

_"We're fine," the woman said with a tight smile before turning back to her companion._

_Nicole suppressed a sigh and went to switch the attendant to sleep mode. Carl only came in the morning to do the accounts and would never notice Nicole's upgrades. She reached for the power button, but instead of shutting off, the attendant spun around and sped toward the bar. "Shit," Nicole said under her breath as she watched it pour glasses of nitro at a frantic pace. He must've made some kind of error during the rewiring. She pressed the power button again, but it only made the attendant move faster. "Shit, shit," she said again. She needed to open the back panel to manually override the program, but that required a special took in Carl's office._

_Luckily, the couple didn't seem to notice that the attendant had poured twenty glasses of nitro and showed no sign of stopping. Nicole just had to move quickly, and everything would be okay. She sprinted to Carl's office, grabbed the tool, and started to run back to the bar._

_A scream pierced the air, and Nicole reached the bar just in time to see the woman leap to her feet, her face red with rage. "That idiotic machine just poured an entire bottle of nitro on me!" she yelled at Nicole._

_"I'm sorry," she said as she lunged for the attendant, pried open the panel, and yanked out the wire. The attendant fell still, and the bottle in its hand dropped to the floor with a loud crash. Nicole let out a sigh, then turned to the woman. The front of her white dress was soaked with the blue liquid. "I'm so sorry," she said again. "I think there's some water in the back. Do you want me to get it for you?"_

_"Water?" she spat. "My dress is ruined. What the hell just happened?"_

_"I don't know.. The attendant must've malfunctioned," she said. "This is ridiculous. I'm calling Carl," the man said, fiddling with his phone._

_"No, please. That is not necessary. Water will get that stain right out. Just give me a chance to.."_

_"Carl? It's Jake. So we're at the bar, and your attendant went haywire. One minute, it was cleaning glasses, and the next, it was pouring nitro all over Lexis.. What? Yeah, she's here.. Hold on." The man extended his wrist toward Nicole. "He wants to talk to you."_

_Nicole's stomach dropped as she searched her brain for some explanation. But before she got the chance to speak. Carl's voice rank from the man's phone. "I told you not to mess with my property. You're fired, moron. And you better leave all you tips in the safe before you go, or I'll have you arrested for theft."_

_"But I.."_

_I'll be over in ten minutes, and if you're still there, I'm calling the cops."_

_The man smiled smugly as Nicole turned without a word and stomped toward Carl's office, trembling with anger and shame. How could she have been such an idiot? Natalie called in countless favors to get Nicole this job, and now she'd let her down. Forget making up the rent. She wasn't going to have enough to cover her own share. They were going to end up on the streets, and it was all Nicole's fault._

_She reached into her pocket for the money, then stopped when she felt her fingers brush against Nedley's card. She'd almost forgotten about their unexpected encounter. Maybe working for Nedley wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps she could do a few runs, just until she caught up on rent. With a glance toward the door to make sure the couple wasn't watching, she reached for the phone on Carl's desk and entered the number._

_"Who is this?" Nedley said irritably._

_"It's Nicole. You met me at the bar tonight."_

_"What do you want?"_

_"I've reconsidered your offer."  
_

_There was a long pause, and when Nedley spoke again, Nicole could hear the smile in his voice. "They always do."_

* * *

"Are you lost?" Nicole turned around to see a pretty girl with tanned skin and blue eyes staring at her. She was still getting used to the sight of girls without gas masks, and for a second, she couldn't do more than marvel at her thick lashes and golden freckles on her nose. "where are you trying to go?" she asked kindly.

"I'm not sure," she said, too flustered to come up with a lie that would keep her from looking like a loser. "I guess I was just looking around."  
"You're a first year, right?" she asked. Nicole nodded. "Don't worry. This place takes some getting used to. Though.." Her eyes darted to the badge on her uniform, and she smiled. "It seems like you're off to a pretty good start, Captain."

Nicole felt heat rise to her cheeks.

"Classes start tomorrow, so try to have fun while you can," she continued. "Have you been to the zero gravity room?"

"There's a zero gravity room? Where?" Why, for Antares's sake, were people hanging out in the common room when they could be floating?"

"Just ask your monitor to direct you."

Nicole's hands went to her ear where they monitor had been implanted yesterday. So far, she hadn't found much use for it. "Directions to the zero gravity room," she said, feeling slightly self conscious.

_"You are operating at suboptimal capacity due to insufficient sleep. Consider returning to your dorm instead. For more information, say healthy sleep cycles."_

"Zero gravity room directions," she said again and her cheeks grew warmer.

"Is your monitor being annoying? Don't worry about it," the girl said with a smile. "I'm heading in that direction. I'll walk you. What's your name?"

"Nic.." She stopped, catcthing herself just in time. "I'm Natalie."

"Nice to meet you, Natalie. I'm Ellen. Now follow me. You're goring to love it." As she fell into step next to her, Nicole glanced out the window, at the stars that her sister had never gotten to see, and thought about everything Natalie had done to make this possible for her. Her older sister was still looking out for her, just like she always had.

Ten minutes later, Nicole was tightening the strap of her goofy helmet, part of the required equipment for the zero gravity training room. She was also wearing knee pads, elbow pads, and shin guards. She could barely walk and knew she looked ridiculous, but it didn't matter. In just a moment, she was going to be freaking weightless.

After a gleaming attendant, the first one she'd ever seen that wasn't covered in rust, had confirmed that Nicole was properly outfitted, it opened the doors. The space beyond was dark and seemingly vast, although it was hard to determine the actual dimensions. Shouts and laughter echoed from all directions. There was a large handle on each side of the entrance, presumably to hold on to while you positioned yourself. "Anything I should know?" Nicole asked the attendant.

"Try not to vomit. People tend to be squeamish about contact with body fluids."

"Thanks for the image," she said, wondering who'd thought it was a good idea to program the machines with sarcasm.

Nicole took a deep breath, grabbed on to the handles, rocked back on her heals for momentum, then pushed off into the darkness. Holy shit, she was flying. She stretched her arms out, unable to keep herself from letting out a dorky, joyful whoop as she floated through the air. completely weightless. _Natalie would've loved this,_ she thought, bracing for the inevitable feeling of sorrow.

She felt her shoulder bump against something. No, someone. "Sorry!" Nicole called cheerfully.

"Watch it, moron," a male voice snapped.

"I said sorry," Nicole said, an edge creeping into her voice. 

"Sorry," another boy repeated, shortening his vowels to imitate Nicole's Tinak accent.

Nicole grabbed on to one of the handholds, then turned to see two Purgatorian boys floating toward her.

"Leave her alone," a girl said, sounding more bored than concerned.

"Leave her alone?" the second boy called over his shoulder. "Didn't you say you wanted to find out what Tinaks smelled like up close?"

"Definitely didn't say that."

"Don't be shy, Kelly," the first boy said. "I'm sure our friend here won't mind." As the boys approached the wall, they stretched out their arms to grab Nicole.

She ducked away and reached for a different handhold. "Don't you assholes have anything better to do?"

Even in the dim light, she could see one boy's face harden. "Didn't anyone ever teach you what happens to Edgers who don't mind their manners?"

"No, but I'm happy to teach you what it feels like to have your nose bleed." Nicole raised her fists, hoping the boys were too stupid to know that you couldn't land a good punch in zero gravity.

"Come on," Kelly called. "You don't want to get expelled on your first day." 

"You'd better learn some manners, space trash," one of the boys muttered under his breath.

Nicole ignored him and pushed off against the wall. A moment later, she was airborne again. She looked around but couldn't see far enough ahead of her to spot anyone. The vast room also seem quieter than before; she couldn't hear and shrieks or thuds. 

Nicole decided to take advantage of the extra space to try a zero gravity somersault. She tucked her knees to her chest, and nearly completed one perfect rotation when, all of a sudden, she wasn't weightless any more. She was falling. Panicked, she flailed her arms, desperate to grab one of the handles, but she was to far from the wall and falling too fast. It was as if a magnet was pulling her toward the floor.

She landed with a crack that jostled every bone in her body. "Shit," she muttered. She wasn't sure if she was hurt, and if so, how badly. The wind had been knocked out of her, and she couldn't breathe, let alone move. She wiggle her toes, followed by her fingers. Then, head pounding, she sat up slowly. She was sore all over, but nothing seemed to be broken. What the heck had happened?

" _Impact detected,"_ her monitor said " _Remain in place while we asses damage."_

"Not now," Nicole groaned, rising unsteadily to her feet. 

_"Damage assessment interrupted. please hold still."_

"Deactivate," she said, knowing that it wouldn't work. She limped toward what appeared to be a service door that led into a narrow hallway. Cursing to herself, she eventually found her way back into the main corridor where, to her irritation, the Purgatorian boys were standing. "Everything okay?" one of them called while the other smirked.

"Fuck off," Nicole said, wondering why no one else in the zero gravity room had fallen.

_"Damage assessment failed. Report to medical center immediately."_

"I guess you still don't see the gravity of the situation," the boy said. He had wavy hair and the kind of face you just wanted to punch regardless of what he was saying. The kid could've offered him a thousand crypto, and Nicole would still want to punch him in the face.

A realization fought its way through Nicole's pounding head. "Did you turn on the gravity in there? I could've been killed, asshole."

_"Stay where you are. Help is on the way."_

The two boys laughed. "And what a loss that would've been," the other boy said.

Before Nicole could respond, two attendants zoomed up with a stretcher in between them. "Wait," Nicole said. "I'm fine. I can walk to the medical center myself."

"An order cannot be overridden once we're dispatched," one said.

"Oh, come on," Nicole groaned. "You can follow me there. Just don't make me get on that thing."

"Refusal to follow orders will result in disciplinary action." Nicole sighed. Being dragged in front of Admiral Gibson certainly wouldn't help with this headache. "Fine," She said through gritted teeth, ignoring the laughter of the Purgatorian boys as she lowered herself onto the stretcher.

* * *

A few minutes later, Nicole found herself in the medical center standing next to a full boy scanner. "I think this is overkill," she said to the doctor, a young woman with brown hair.

"Just need to scan you quickly," she said, fiddling with a control panel on the wall. "The sensors in your uniform wouldn't be able to detect a concussion. Now hop in, please."

Nicole stepped into the scanner, and a moment later, a three dimensional image of her body appeared on the screen next to the doctor. HE bones glowed green, and it looked like his organs were color coded. "What's all that?" she asked as long lines of data scrolled down the sidebar.

"Just our vitals. Heart rate. Iron levels. Blood oxygen content. Antibody levels."

"I thought you were checking me for a concussion?"

"The scanner collects this information automatically," the doctor said. "You might feel a slight pinch now. It's going to take a very small blood sample for genetic analysis."

"Sure, because I might be genetically predisposed to concussions," Nicole said under her breath.

"Now, let's see.. I don't see any signs of a concussion, so it looks like you're all.. oh, wait... that's strange."

"What? What's wrong?" she asked, feeling a little bit of fear. On Titan, it was just a matter of time before your body began to revolt against the toxic air. Kids younger than he was transformed into walking masses of tumors. It'd be just his luck to finally make it off planet only to discover that it was too late. 

"It's saying that your DNA doesn't match the medical records we have on file." Se leaned forward and squinted for a better look.

Nicole's heart lurched against his rib cage before starting to race. "How do you have my file?"

She glance over her shoulder to shoot her a confused look. "From the mandatory physical you had on Titan."

Nicole's head was spinning. _Of course, Natalie would've had to submit her medical records. How could I not have though of that?_

The doctor sighed. "We're going to have to contact the Sector 23 medical clinic and ask them to send your correct records. I didn't realize it was possible to make such a careless mistake, but that's Titan for you." A beep sounded, and the doctor turned toward the screen with a frown. "Is everything okay? Your heart rate just increased significantly." 

"I'm fine," Nicole said, trying to keep her voice steady even though she felt her whole body starting to shake. "Can I go now?" She stepped out of the scanner without waiting for an answer.

"Yes. I'll contact the clinic and get this sorted."

Nicole nodded and forced herself to walk normally, willing her legs to not give out before she made it far enough away from the medical center. When she reached the empty corridor, she gasped, the stretched her arm out to the wall for balance. When the Academy received her medical records, more accurately, Natalie's records, they'd realize the DNA didn't match and there was no error. They would discover the truth, that Nicole was an impostor trespassing the most guarder facility in the system. The punishment for trespassing was thirty years in solitary confinement on Ginus. But Nicole wasn't simply trespassing. Impersonating Natalie could conceivably count a treason, and punishment for treason was death. Everyone knew that.

She let her head slam back against the wall, cursing under her breath. No one like her made it off Titian. She'd been an idiot to think she deserved better, and now she was going to pay the price.


	6. Wynonna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wynonna gains the attention of someone very "dangerous"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this is posted so late, I've had so much going on in my life that it has been really hard to get on any of my electronics. I've been trying to take care of my mental health. So please be patient with me. I will be trying to get another chapter out as soon as I can.

_"Wynonna, stay there!"_

_Wynonna froze. She'd taken cover under the table once the walls began to rattle, but she was scared and wanted to be with her mother. Half of the roof was missing, and the room was quickly filling with smoke. "Mama!" she called out._

_"Don't move," her mother ordered, her voice growing hoarse. Through the swirl of smoke and ash, Wynonna could make out her mother lying on the couch. She'd placed her hand on her stomach, but it wasn't large enough to cover the dark red stain blooming on her shirt._

_"You're hurt," Wynonna said. "Let me help you."_

_"Wynonna, you have to stay where you are," her mother said in a harsh tone Wynonna had never heard before. "It's not over yet."_

_The walls began to shake again just like Mama said they would. Because Wynonna's mother knew everything. She knew exactly which night the moon roses would blossom; she knew how to dive into the lake from the highest ledge without making a splash; and she always knew what was bothering Wynonna even when Wynonna didn't have the words to explain herself._

_Wynonna hugged her knees to her chest as the rattling grew stronger until it felt like the ground was trying to swallow their house. Through the hole in the ceiling, she could see the sky, though it was a strange color, dark gray with jagged streaks of red, like a piece of torn animal hide. Somewhere nearby, a woman was screaming._

_There was a flash of light, and the ground shook even harder than before. "I'll come to you," her mother whispered. With a groan, she slid off the couch and began to crawl toward Wynonna, still holding her stomach with one hand._

_"Mama," Wynonna called, reaching out to help. She stretched as far as she could, but her fingertips weren't long enough to reach her mother. Wynonna started to come out from under the table, but her mother shook her head._

_"No," she pleaded. "Wynonna, you have to stay right there."_

_There was another flash of light, and it tore an even larger hole in the sky. Bits of white hot metal rained down, followed by more chunks of their roof. "Mama!" Wynonna shouted as the room filled with dust and smoke._

_This time, there was no one to tell her to stay under the table, but Wynonna hugged her knees to her chest anyway. It was what her mother wanted her to do, and she was always right. When the smoke finally cleared, Wynonna crawled out to touch the hand she'd been reaching for._

_It was already cold._

* * *

"Is anyone sitting there?"

Startled, Wynonna looked up to see a boy gesturing at the empty seat next to her. She shook her head, hoping that he wouldn't try and initiate any further conversation, at least not until her memory of the Space Fleet attack on her home faded and her anger subsided.

Wynonna had been at the Academy for three days, and at first, everything had gone according to plan. Revenant hackers had secured her admission to the Academy by creating an entire dossier of fake Panamaian documents, and none of them seemed to have sparked any confusion or suspicion. She was free to focus on her main objective: obtaining the coordinates of the Academy's top secret location and transmitting them to the Revenant military.

Ever since the first unprovoked attack fifteen years ago, the Fleet had been bombing Ghost River with increasing frequency. It had become clear that the only way to defeat the Fleet once and for all, and keep them from destroying every single person on the planet, was to wipe out the next generation of military leaders. And so, once Wynonna's commanding officer received the coordinates, the Revenants would launch a massive preemptive strike at the heart of the Fleets military operations: the Academy itself.

But soon after Wynonna arrived, she'd realized that the transponder she'd been given to communicate with the Revenant base was blocked by whatever cloaking system the Academy used to conceal its location. The Academy issued phones could only transmit outgoing messages within their current system, so although she could receive messages from Ghost River, she couldn't respond, let alone capture the school's coordinates. She'd need to figure out another way. 

In the meantime, Wynonna’s objective was to act like a normal cadet. The first years had received their squadron assignments the day before, and they were all anyone could talk about. To her amusement, Wynonna had been named intelligence officer, the position responsible for strategic planning and monitoring external threats, like the Revenants.

The boy leaned over. “I can’t believe Lieutenant Holiday is our instructor,” he whispered, nodding at the empty desk in the front of the room. “He’s the one who thwarted the attack on the capital a few years ago.” 

Wynonna wasn't sure how to reply. She hadn't practiced small talk with her tutors. But the boy didn't seem to be waiting for a response. "I heard he's kind of terrifying. He's really young,. I think he only graduated from the Academy three years ago, but he's already won a bunch of medals," the boy continued, his voice a mixture of awe and apprehension. "No one knows why he gave that up to teach What's your theory?"

That he'll find it hard to thwart the next Revenant attack, she thought before wracking her brain for a more appropriate response. To her relief, the instructor entered a moment later, cutting off the buzz of conversation.

"Welcome to Advanced Counterintelligence," the instructor said as he strode toward his desk at the front. "I'm First Lieutenant John Henry Holiday, but addressing me that was wastes time we can't afford to lose, so call me Doc."

The instructor was indeed young, or he looked young to Wynonna, at least. He had dark straight hair, smooth beige skin, and intense, bright blue eyes that scanned the room as he spoke. His gaze hovered on Wynonna for a moment, and her skin prickled with heat. Her instructor was the boy from the corridor, the one who'd stopped to help her during her dizzy spell after orientation.

"Each of you was placed in this class because of your score on the aptitude test, but that doesn't guarantee you'll stay in this class. If it seems like you're out of your element, you will be transferred to the introductory course. Counterintelligence requires a special combination of skills, and it may turn out that your time and talents are best spent elsewhere."

Doc leaned back against his desk and stretched his legs out. Between his trouser hem and polished shoe there was a glint of metal, the rod of a bionic leg Wynonna hadn't noticed during their brief encounter. His pose was relaxed, but there was something about him the suggested coiled power. "We'll spend most of the semester discussing intelligence gathering techniques and their applications for military strategy, but for the next few weeks, I'd like to spend some time on the Revenants and what we know about their technology and culture." Doc pressed a button on the desk that dimmed the lights and projected a holomap on the screen behind him. "The species we call the Revenants comes from a solar system nearly six parsecs away. Every planet in the system had pronounced elliptical orbit that suggests long seasons and dramatic temperature fluctuations, and having evolved in such an extreme environment, the Revenants likely developed dramatically different features from our Systems people."

Wynonna suppressed a smirk. The physiological distinctions were very minor, her people had slightly increased lung capacity and more red blood cells, which allowed them to hold their breath for longer. This was how the ancient Revenants had survived the summers, when the oceans swallowed up most of the planet.

"Even if we never make it to the enemy's home planet, even if we never capture one alive, there's still plenty we can learn about them. The most powerful tool you have.." Doc raised an eyebrow. "Yes? Do you have a question?"

A girl with long dark hair lowered her hand. "I was just wondering, have we ever tried communicating with the Revenants?"

Doc nodded. "That's a good question. one we're going to discuss at great length next week, but the short answer is yes." He went on to talk about communication drones, but his explanation barley registered with Wynonna. She was too distracted by what Doc had just said. What did he mean if their people ever made it to the Revenant's home planet? They'd been launching vicious attacks on Ghost River for years. She looked around the room, searching for signs of similar confusion on the cadets' faces, but none of them seemed to have noticed.

"Of course, direct contact would be ideal," Doc continued, "but since the Revenants attacked us unprovoked, we have to assume that they wouldn't take kindly to unexpected visitors."  


It took all of Wynonna's finely honed self control to stay silent despite the fury building within her. It was the Fleet who'd attacked the Revenants unprovoked. Fifteen years ago, the Revenant military had detected foreign probe collecting fyron samples and destroyed it. But the probe had apparently already transmitted all the data the Fleet needed. A few months later, three battlecraft had darkened the skies above the capital city and released a massive bomb. Half a million Revenants were killed instantly, and nearly two hundred thousand succumbed to their injuries over the following weeks. The Fleet had returned again the following year, although this time the Revenant military was ready for them and destroyed two of the ships, forcing the third to retreat. Revenant intelligence determined that the attackers came from the Fleet's origin space system and were after the fyron on Ghost river, for going diplomatic means in favor of genocide. In order to save their kind and their planet, the Revenants began launching attacks of their own, mainly on military targets and a few cities with strategic and symbolic value.

Was it possible that the Fleets "protected" civilians knew none of this? Had their leaders convinced them that the first Revenant attack had been a n unprovoked massacre instead of justified retribution? The truth was that if the Fleet had their way, they'd massacre every last Revenant and then slowly butcher the planet with the precision of a sadistic surgeon. The revenants had a moral obligation to defend themselves, to subdue the Fleet by any means necessary. 

Doc clapped his hands together "Of course, the first rule of intelligence is not to assume anything before you have evidence to back it up. You have to learn the difference between observation and conjecture, and that's going to be the focus of our first exercise. We're going to divide into pairs and write down inferences about our partners based on specific observations. Everyone stand and find a partner."

Wynonna stood up along with the others but didn't move from her desk. Her mind was still reeling from the revelation that the Space Fleet government was lying to its people about the Revenants. By the time she glanced up, the other cadets were all paired off. She felt a brief flicker of relief. Perhaps, since there was an odd number of students, she'd be excused from the exercise. But then, to her dismany, she was Doc walking toward her.

"You and I can be partners," he said, pulling up and empty chair lowering himself into it in one fluid movement.

"What's your name?"

"Wynonna," she said, relieved that he didn't recognize her from the other day. The last thing she needed was to catch the attention of the Fleet's most celebrated counterintelligence officer.

"Would you like to go first?" he asked. It was the nearest she'd been to a Fleet human since arriving at the Academy, and her heart wouldn't stop racing. "Or I can start us off if you prefer."

"I'll go," Wynonna said hoarsely. She bit her bottom lip and glanced at him again. Up close, his bright eyes were even deeper, He was scruffy with a mustache and sideburns, there was a shadow that clung to his sharp jaw. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and without thinking, Wynonna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A pleasing scent filled her head, a familiar combination of salt, sand, and the minerals unique to the sea. "You like to swim in the ocean."

When Doc didn't respond, Wynonna opened her eyes and saw him staring at her in surprise. "How did you know that?"

no, no, no. She'd spoken too quickly, forgetting that Revenants had evolved a keener sense of smell than their kind had, a necessary survival mechanism on a planet where venturing too close to certain toxic summer blooms could kill you on the spot. "Your deltoid muscles," she said, grasping for an excuse. "It looks like you swim often.. in rough conditions."

"Ah, I see," he said, eyeing her in a way that did little assuage her anxiety. "Nicely done. Okay, it's my turn."

Just stay calm, she commanded her self as his eyes flicked over her. You're dressed like a cadet. You've been trained to speak like a Panamaian. If you're careful, he won't notice your accent. But he would notice if she seemed anxious, and the last thing she needed was to rouse the suspicion of counterintelligence expert.

After a long moment, he smiled. "I infer that you have a high tolerance for pain."

"Why is that?" she asked, mimicking the light, carefree tone she'd heard her roommate use.

"Because you're not wearing your monitor, and i know from personal experience that it hurts like hell when you remove it yourself."

Wynonna's hand flew up to her ear. She'd taken the monitor off last night so she could explore the Academy without anyone tracking her movements.

"I won't tell anyone.. this time," Doc said with an amused smile. "Just be sure to wear it tomorrow, or people will suspect you're trying to hide something."

He's just joking, Wynonna told herself. But this time, her breathing techniques weren't enough to slow her racing heart. Was it possible that she'd somehow made him suspicious? Dos's training had likely taught him to notice details others missed.

"Okay, class, let's wrap it up so we can go over your assignment for tomorrow." Doc got up and began walking back toward his desk, then glanced over his shoulder at Wynonna . "Glad to see you're feeling better."

Wynonna felt her blood turn to ice, as if she were hibernating frost python back on Ghost river. He recognized her from the hallway the other day. It was too late to lie low. She'd already caught the attention of the most dangerous person in the Academy, the person best equipped to discover a spy in their midst.


	7. Jeremy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being so late with posting, things have been really crazy lately.

Jeremy stopped in front of the engineering lab to collect himself. He'd been a little nervous before all his classes, but this was different. He was going to be his squadron's technology officer, which made his performance in engineering class all the more important.

_"Elevated heart rate detected. Consider resting and taking a few deep breaths. For more information on relaxation techniques, say relax. For more information on cardiovascular_ _disorders related to these symptoms, say diagnostics."_

"Ignore," Jeremy said under his breath, glancing around the crowded corridor. While he knew that the other cadets couldn't hear his monitor, it was still unnerving.

_"For more information on-"_

"Stop," Jeremy said. "Please, don't have time for this."

 _"For more information on time-management strategies, say_ time management."

"Cancel. Mute!" Jeremy whispered as a few passing cadets turned to stare. 

"Say dismiss," a deep voice said. Jeremy turned to see Robin watching him with an amused expression.

"Dismiss," Jeremy said under his breath before giving Robin a sheepish smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Robin nodded at the door to the lab. "Are you also in this class?"

"Yes," Jeremy said, hoping his face didn't betray his excitement. He'd been waiting to run into Robin and had felt a pang of disappointment every time he'd walked into a new class without seeing him. But then a dispiriting thought hit him. What if Robin didn't remember meeting him on the shuttle? Unlike Jeremy, he probably hadn't replayed their interaction a hundred times over the past three days. "I'm Jeremy."

Robin gave Jeremy a puzzled look, as if he couldn't tell whether or not he was joking. "Yes, I know. We were on the shuttle together. I'm Dash."

Jeremy blushed. "No, of course. I know that. I just wasn't sure that you'd remembered it." The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted the.

"Ah, I see." Robin nodded thoughtfully. "Should I be worried that I struck you as someone with major short term memory loss?"

"No. You didn't. I just..." There was no way Jeremy could possibly explain to Robin that he'd spend the past few years trying to make himself invisible. It was the only way for someone like him to survive on Ginus. When he'd done well on an exam, he'd been branded a show off. When he'd skipped booze filled snowshoeing jamborees to study, he'd been called stuck up.

Robin grinned, and the embarrassment welling up within Jeremy turned into a different kind of warmth. "Should we head in?"

Jeremy followed him inside, and for a moment, all he could do was stare in wonder. So far, every room he'd seen at the Academy had been more spectacular than the last, but nothing could've prepared him for this. The lab was gleaming white with workstations scattered throughout. Holographic models hovered above each desk, schematics of weapons and vehicles Jeremy had never seen before. He took a few steps forward to watch a simulation of a streamlined zipcraft making hairpin turns through an asteroid belt.

"Everyone take a seat, please." Sergeant Pond, the instructor who'd accompanied them from Ginus, stood in the middle of the lab in his uniform, surveying the nervous looking cadets. Across the room Sola waved at Jeremy and gestured to a seat next to her. Jeremy looked to see where Robin had sat, but his workstation was already full. Fighting his disappointment, he made his way over to Sola and greeted her with a smile.

"Welcome to Advanced Engineering," Pond said, pacing as he spoke. "Before we dive into the curriculum, I want to get a sense of your mechanical engineering abilities, so we're going to start with a simple exercise. You'll pair off into teams and design a prototype for a rover that can traverse all three of Titan's moons." He tapped his link, and a schematic for a basic rover appeared in the air above each workstation. "This will get you started."

Sola caught his eye and Jeremy nodded, relieved that he wouldn't be stuck searching for a partner. Pond must've noticed other cadets making similar gestures because he said, "And I'm going to divide you into pairs randomly. The sooner you all start working together, the better." He fiddled with his link, and glowing letter suddenly appeared on each workstation. "Go find the person with the same letter as you."

"I'm F. What are you?" Sola asked, peering at Jeremy's desk. "Oh well," she said with a sigh when she saw the glowing K. She got up to find her partner, and a moment later, someone else slid into her chair. It was Robin.

"It looks like we're partners," Robin said, extending his hand. "I'm Robin. I'm not sure if you remember, but we met about three minutes ago."

Jeremy laughed. "Yeah, I have a vague recollection."

"So, let's see... Titan's moons... There's the icy one, right?"

"That's one of them, yes." Jeremy said with a smile.

"And then the one with the underground ocean?"

"That's the same as the icy one. Victoria. There there's Killo, which is mostly covered with volcanoes, and the red moon, Nola, the one with the high iron content."

Robin cocked his head to the side and gave Jeremy a appraising look. "Very impressive, 223."

"I'm pretty sure any eight year old in the solar system could name the moons," Jeremy said, secretly pleased that Robin had remembered his score.

"Hmm.. I'm taking ten points away for your attitude. Henceforth, you will be known ass 213."

Jeremy nodded, suppressing a grin. "Noted."

"And we're going to start by doing this.." Robin's fingers flew across the desk, and a moment later, their transparent rover schematic turned bright red except for the number 213 emblazoned along the side.

Jeremy laughed, then ducked his head when a few people turned to look. "Not exactly suited for covert missions, is it?"

"At least one of Titan's moons is red. This is perfect!" Robin smiled, revealing the dimples Jeremy had been thinking about for the past three days. An unfamiliar feeling came over him. In the past, whenever something made Jeremy's heart flutter, he'd have to remind himself that it was all in his head. That no boy would ever fall for an awkward, studious loner like him.

* * *

_"Pedro likes you," Eva said, not taking any particular pains to speak quietly. The school hadn't been able to find an advanced physics teacher this year, so their class was being taught by a buggy, rusted attendant who'd been programmed to deliver lectures and grade exams but couldn't process human voices. Not only could their "instructor" not answer questions, it couldn't tell when the students weren't paying attention, which meant that most people spend class goofing around with their friends._

_"What? That's ridiculous," Jeremy said quietly, his dismissive tone belying the flutter in his stomach. Pedro was new, his family had just recently moved to F territory, and although he was serious and studious during class, he'd started hanging out after school with Mace, Grover, and the other boys who liked to torment Jeremy when they couldn't find anything better to do._

_"It's true," Eva insisted, ignoring the film the attendant was projecting onto the wall, an animated diagram explaining centrifugal force. "He like that you're smart and that you care about your future."_

_"Then why doesn't he talk to me himself?" Jeremy whispered, wishing Eva would do the sane. Although the cavernous classroom, housed in a former drill factory, echoed with laughter, you never knew who was eavesdropping_

_"He's shy. You know something about that, don't you?"_

_Jeremy ignored the jab while he considered how to respond. He and Eva weren't friends exactly, he knew her fairly well. She was nosy, gossipy, and not particularly nice, but he'd never known her to lie._

_"Do you like him?" Eva prodded._

_Jeremy glanced down at his desk so she wouldn't see him blush. The truth was he did like Pedro. Despite the droning robot instructor, physics had become his favorite class since it meant he could watch the new student. He like how carefully Pedro took notes and how thoughtful he looked whenever he glanced up._

_"What does it matter? Thirteen is too young for a boyfriend," Jeremy said, repeating what his mother had told him._

_Eva rolled her eyes. "He does't have to be your boyfriend for you to have fun together. Don't you want to kiss someone eventually?"_

_Jeremy opened his mouth to give some indignant response, then sighed and closed it again. It was pointless to try to lie. Everyone knew everyone's business in this territory. He couldn't lie about having a secret love life and get away with it. "I have other things to focus on right now."_

_"Suit yourself. I'm telling you what he told me. I said that if he wanted to talk to you he should go the library after school. I assume you're going later, right?"_

_Jeremy shook his head. "I can't. I told my mom I'd feed the ironhooves."_

_"your call," Eva said with a shrug. "though if you're not there, he'll think you're avoiding him, and he'll be too embarrassed to try again."_

_Jeremy spent the rest of the day growing increasingly anxious as he deliberated about what to do. He watched Pedro carefully, but nothing about the boy's behavior confirmed or contradicted Eva's information. It couldn't be true, to the best of Jeremy's knowledge, no one had ever had a crush on him, let alone a popular new boy with soulful eyes. Yet there was a first time for everything. And what did he have to lose? He could feed the ironhooves later; his mother would understand._

_By the time school let out, Jeremy was a jumble of nerves and excitement, but he did his best to act normally as he headed to the library, a storage room with an old but working link and some donated or discarded books. As usual, it was empty when Jeremy arrived, but he didn't let that discourage him. There was still plenty of time for Pedro to arrive._

_He got to work right away, since he didn't want to look like he was expecting Pedro. He'd been teaching himself Cyrilia, a dialect used by early settlers on Panama. Jeremy had only planned to learn the basic, but he'd found it so fascinating that he'd continued, and now he could read fairly fluently. He picked up where he'd left off, and by the time he looked up, nearly forty minutes had passed._

_Disappointment hardened in his stomach, but as he glanced out the darkening window, it quickly turned to guilt as he imagined the confused ironhooves bleating for their dinner. He stood up with a groan, stretched his arms above his head, and had just begun to repack when the shrill wail of a siren made him jump._

_Although the Revenants hadn't attacked on Ginus in years, there were still regular emergency drills. When the alarm blared, you had five minutes to scan into the nearest bunker, or else had to pay a crippling fine. With a sigh, Jeremy headed to the school's bunker knowing he'd be on his own. None of the human teachers, to say nothing of the students, ever stayed a minute longer than they had to._

_Why were they having the drill now? It'd only been two weeks since the last one, and drills normally occur every five or six months. Jeremy swiped his ID against the sensor, then clanked down the metal steps. To his confusion, the door slid shut behind him. That was strange. The doors weren't supposed to close during drills, only in real attacks._

_Dread began to seep down his spine. What if this wasn't a drill? What if it was a real attack? He wend back up the stairs and pressed his ear against the door. He didn't hear anything, no explosions, no panicked screams. But that didn't necessarily mean anything. The last attack had been more than four hundred mitons away. They hadn't heard anything in F territory, but later watched in horror as plumes of black smoke spiraled into the air like the ghosts or destroyed buildings._

_His hear lurched as he imagined his mother searching frantically for him, calling his name out the door. What if she came looking for him instead of seeking shelter herself? Jeremy winced as a jolt of pain shot through him. If something happened to his mother, he'd never forgive himself._

_Just as tears began to sting his eyes, he heard voices on the other side of the door. He was about to shout for attention when a familiar sound made his breath catch in his throat. Mace's laugh. The sound that had accompanied every humiliation Jeremy had suffered during the past few years._

_"Do you think he's in there?" someone asked. It sounded like Mace's friend Grover._

_"Of course. You really think he'd skip a drill?"_

_"But how do you know he was in the library at all?"_

_"I guarantee you he's here," a girl's voice said, sounding gleeful. It was Eva. "You should've seen the look on his face when in told him about Pedro."_

_No. The word tore through Jeremy as his heart began to race._

_Mace laughed, and even though the solid door, the sound alone was enough to make Jeremy cringe. "I don't know why everyone thinks he's so smart. Like Pedro would ever go for someone like him. He's the one who figured out how to isolate the alarm to the library. I have to go tell him that it worked."_

_"What about Jeremy?" Eva asked, slightly less excited than before._

_"Someone will find him tomorrow."_

_"I don't know if that's a good idea. What if something happens to him overnight?"_

_"If you're so concerned, we can lock you up with him and you can take care of each other." Eva must've given in, because the voices disappeared after that._

_"No," Jeremy called, his voice cracking. "Wait! Come back!"_

_But it was too late. He was trapped alone in the empty, dark bunker. Silent except for the sound of his breath and the crack of his breaking heart._

* * *

Jeremy had learned the hard way not to let his imagination run away with him, yet looking at Robin's warm smile, he allowed himself to wonder if perhaps things could be different at the Academy.

They spend the rest of the class period customizing their rover with wheels that could navigate the craggy surface of Killo and churn through the dust of Nola, but they couldn't figure out how to make it work on Victoria.

"Maybe it's a test?" Robin said, rubbing his temples in a manner that Jeremy found oddly endearing 

"It is a test," Jeremy said. "A test of our engineering skills."

"You know what I mean." Robin smiled. "Maybe Pond's actually testing our ability to deal with impossible situations."

"This definitely isn't an impossible situation," Jeremy said, squinting at the schematic. "You know what? We won't need to worry about adapting to the different environments if we use a form of propulsion that doesn't require contact with the moons' surfaces."

"That sounds easier said than done."

"No, I think I've got it," Jeremy said as he zoomed in and began to adjust the engine. "We can make the rover levitate by using ducted fans where there's enough atmosphere, like on Victoria, and we can use repulsing magnets on Nola. If we polarize the magnets and place them on the underside of the rover, they'll react against the metal."

They worked quickly to redesign the rover. For all of Robin's feigned ignorance, he could perform lightning fast calculations that, by the end of class, Jeremy found even more alluring than his dimples. After adding the ducted fans and the magnets, they tested the vehicle on all three surfaces. It worked beautifully each time.

Robin clapped his hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "You're a genius, 223!"

Jeremy blushed. "Come on."

"Are you embarrassed?" Robin's tone was more incredulous than teasing, but that didn't stop Jeremy's cheeks from growing even warmer. He hadn't realized it was possible to feel embarrassed about being embarrassed. "Listen, being modest isn't going to help you here. You've got to own being a genius."

Pond came over to their workstation to watch their rover in action. "nicely done," He said with a nod before glancing at the time. "Okay, that's it," he called out. "If you didn't finish, you and your partner should arrange a time to meet before out next class."

Jeremy found himself wishing that he and Robin hadn't finished the assignment so quickly so he'd have an excuse to meet up with him later. But maybe he didn't need an excuse? Perhaps Robin would suggest hanging out later just for fun. Jeremy felt a flutter in his stomach and tried to come up with a reason that would convey enthusiasm but not too much excitement.

"Great job, 223," Robin said after Pond dismissed them and they were walking toward the door. "I'll see you around."

"Oh.." Jeremy said, trying not to sound to disappointed. 

"Yeah, see you." He forced himself to smile even though it felt like someone had jabbed his chest with a dull ice pick.

Robin took a few steps, then stopped and turned back around. "Do you want to meet up for dinner later?"

"Yes." The word shot out of Jeremy's mouth before he had time to feign nonchalance.

"Great," Robin said with a grin that made every inch of Jeremy's skin start to tingle. "I'll see you later."

As he watched Robin go, Jeremy exhaled and grinned. 

" _Elevated heart rate detected. Consider-"_

Jeremy closed his eyes and laughed. "Dismiss."

"What's going on?" Jeremy spun around to see Sola looking at him with concern.

"Nothing. I"m fine. My monitor was just acting up."

She glanced from side to side, then lowered her voice.

"Don't you know who he is? That boy you were paired with?"

"Yeah. That's Robin, from the shuttle. He seems a lot nicer than the other Purgatorians, doesn't he?" Only a few of the Purgatorians had been outwardly hostile to the settlers, but they hadn't exactly been welcoming either.

Sola frowned and pulled him into the hall, waiting for a group of laughing girls to pass before she spoke again.

"Right. Robin Jett."

"What's your point?"

Sola stared at him incredulously. "His father is Larz Jett."

"That's impossible," Jeremy said quickly. "Jett is a really common last name on Purgatory. He can't be Robin's father."

"Trust me. It's him. The man who's trying to reverse the new policy and close the Academy to Settlers."

The warmth in Jeremy's stomach crystallized into jagged ice, sending cold dread seeping through his body. "No.. that can't be right.."

"I didn't realize it back at the shuttleport, but I've already heard lots of people talking about him, including some of the instructors.

"But he seems so nice," Jeremy said weakly. His brain strained to process this information, but he couldn't sort through the tangle of thoughts.

"Remember what his father's like. You've seen him in the new memos. He never raises his voice. Never stops smiling. He seems so charming and polite, you can almost forget that he's calling us parasites and criminals."

There had to be some mistake. Robin had been flirting with him. He'd asked Jeremy to meet for dinner. Why is Antares's name would he do that if her were some kind of hateful bigot?

_Unless...._

Jeremy winced as a painful idea wormed its way through his brain. What if Robin had only been flirting with him so he could go laugh with his friends afterward? Or worse, tell his father that the Settlers were even more stupid than anyone had realized?

He blushed and glanced away so Sola wouldn't see the hurt in his face. It didn't matter that he'd gotten the highest score on the entrance exam. It didn't matter that he was tech officer at the Space Fleet Academy. He was still the sixteen year old who'd never kissed anyone. He was still the boy who'd never be anyone's favorite.


	8. Nicole

Ever since leaving the medical center the other day, Nicole had been fighting waves of terror and nausea. It was only a matter of time before the Fleet found out she wasn't really Natalie and came for her. She needed to get out of here. But how? Stow away on a cargo ship? Maybe even steal a ship? Expect the punishment for trespassing. She'd have to worry about it later, though. She needed to be at her squadron's first practice session in five minutes, and she didn't want to be late and draw any more attention to herself.

The corridor echoed with shouts and the thud of footsteps as people jostled to catch up with squadron mates. but as they spilled into a darker, narrower hallway, the laughs and jeers died away, and the cadets began speaking in hushed tones. The only light came from the glowing numbers on the doors, and the crow thinned as people quietly peeled off into their simulcrafts.

When Nicole reached number 20, she pressed her hand to the scanner like she'd seen the others do, and the door slid open. She found herself in a small, dark, round room that looked like the cockpit of a fightercraft. Three chairs faced various control panels, and in the center behind them was a single chair. The captain's chair.

Above the panels was a wraparound window. No, not a window, Nicole realized. It would be impossible for such a small room in the middle of the Academy to have windows on all sides. It was the simulcraft's screen, one with such high definition and dimension, it was hard to believe he wasn't really looking out into space.

_This is incredible,_ Nicole thought, feeling a brief flash of excitement before it was subsumed by a new wave of anxiety. She hoped the practice session wouldn't last long. The sooner she got out of here, the sooner she'd be bale to come up with an escape plan. She looked around the empty simulcraft with a mixture of confusion and irritation. It was a little strange that she was the first to arrive. She'd never been early to anything in her life.

But then, to her surprise, she noticed the top of someone's head peeking up from from the captain's chair. "Excuse me, I believe you're are in my seat," she said, forcing a playful note into her voice. The more relaxed she acted, the better.

The chair spun around, revealing a girl with long brown hair, with high cheekbones, and the frostiest glare Nicole had ever seen. "Sorry," she said quickly, raising her hands in surrender. "It was a just a joke."

She gave her a strained smile. "Hilarious," she said in a Purgatorian accent.

So far, the Purgatorians weren't doing much to dispel the idea that they were all humorless snobs. Then her gaze fell on the girl's badge and it hit her. This was Waverly, the admiral's daughter, the cadet she'd heard the Purgatorians talking about. Apparently, her mother was pissed that Waverly had been made pilot instead of captain.

"Listen, I know this must be awkward for you. If it makes you feel any better, this captain thing doesn't matter to me," she said. She wasn't going to be at the Academy for long. If being captain meant so much to this girl, then she'd let her have it.

She stared at her, as if unsure whether she was an idiot or just being cruel. Nicole bristled. She was many things, but a cruel idiot wasn't one of them. Forget about offering to swap roles. She was clearly another spoiled Purgatorian used to getting her way. This would be good for her.

The door slid open, and two people stepped inside, a lanky boy with thick, dark hair and a pale brown haired girl with her hair pulled back from her face. "Welcome to Squadron 20!" Nicole said as cheerfully as she could manage given the growing knot of anxiety in her stomach. Seemed right for the captain to make everyone feel at ease.

"I'm Jeremy." The boy dipped his head, then jerked it back up and extended his hand for Nicole to shake. He had a thick accent, Ginusian, Nicole thought.

The brown haired girl stood oddly rigid as her eyes darted between Nicole and their two other squadron mates. There was a long moment of silence before she finally spoke. "I'm Wynonna."

Nicole raised her hand in the air. "Natalie," she said with a smile, hoping the girl would find that less intimidating than a handshake.

She nodded. "Wynonna," she said again.

"Yes, I think we've got that part." Waverly clapped her hands together once. "Now let's get to work. The first-"

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Nicole asked, enjoying the look of frustration on Waverly's face. She hoped all the Purgatorians were this easy to rile up; if he could take these snobs down a notch before she left, her risky trip to the Academy would've been worth it.

"Waverly," she said in a tone that suggested it was taking all her self control to be polite.

"A pleasure to meet you," Nicole said, extending her hand.

She ignored her and continued. "The first battle is next week, and if we don;t do well, it'll be really hard to climb back up in the rankings. Now, does everyone understand the responsibilities of each role?"

Nicole cleared her throat. "I'm pretty sure that the responsibilities of being captain include asking questions like that."

A look of pain flashed across her face, and for a brief moment, Nicole considered apologizing. But then she smiled at her. Or what would've counted as a smile if she hadn't followed it up with a patronizing "All right then, Captain. Proceed."

Jeremy looked at her expectantly. Wynonna wasn't making eye contact with anyone, which Nicole vastly preferred to Waverly's look of apprehension, as if afraid to see what ridiculous thing she'd do next. "Well," she said, stalling because she didn't actually have anything to say.

The lights darkened suddenly, and the control panels began to glow. " _Hello squadron 20,"_ said a voice that Nicole recognized from his monitor. _"Welcome to your first training session. Please take your seats."_

Waverly spun around and marched over to the pilot's chair. Without waiting for further instructions, she started to adjust the controls with well practiced movements.

"That one's probably the tech seat, right?" Jeremy gestured at a chair in front of a screen glowing with a schematic of the ship's engine.

"Right," Nicole said, figuring she had a fifty percent chance of getting it right.

Silently, Wynonna settled into a seat that faced a large radar screen, then folded her hands in her lap, apparently waiting for further instructions.

Nicole lowered herself into the captain's chair, and despite the anxiety churning in her stomach, she grinned. She had to admit, it felt pretty good. 

_"There are three types of missions,"_ the voice continued. _"The first is exploratory, in which the objective is to gather intelligence about a specific location without alerting the enemy to your presence. The second is rescue, in which the objective is to retrieve someone who's been stranded or captured. The third is combat, during which you'll face an enemy intent on destroying your craft."_

"Everyone got that?" Nicole asked. Jeremy glanced over his shoulder and nodded. Wynonna nodded without turning. And, to Nicole's delight, Waverly twisted around to glare at her. "Okay, good," she said.

_"Today. you'll be performing an exploratory mission. An asteroid has been detected that could contain valuable minerals. Your objective: Locate the asteroid, land on the surface to collect soil samples, and return to your base. Your score will be determined by speed, fuel usage, and the condition of your craft."_

"Soil, samples?" Nicole repeated. "I wanted to destroy some Revenants!" She was getting into this captain things and figured she should enjoy it while it lasted.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Wynonna flinch. What was with these girls?

_"Your mission begins in 5...4...2..."_

"Okay, everyone, we've got this," Nicole said. "Wynonna, how far away is the aster-"

"143,817 mitons."

"Efficient. I like it. Jeremy, what's the landing zone look like?"

_"Commence mission."_

The stars on the screen came into even sharper focus. It really felt like they were in the middle of space. It was pretty incredible, actually.

Jeremy pulled up a schematic of the asteroid. "Let's see... The asteroid is on the smaller side, which means low gravity will be a challenge. It's going to be hard not to bounce."

"We can use reverse thrusters," Waverly said without turning. "It'll be fine."

"All right then, take it away, pilot."

Waverly yanked back on the throttle, and the simulcraft lurch forward. Jeremy gasped in surprise, and Nicole gripped the arms of her chair. She hadn't realized just how realistic these simulations were.

"The asteroid is located at the far edge of the Peel Asteroid Belt," Wynonna announced, still facing the radar screen. "The safest route loops around and has us come from behind. There will be fewer obstacles that way."

"But we'll use a lot more fuel," Jeremy said, frowning. 

"It might be smart to do the safer option for our first mission," Nicole said slowly, still mesmerized by the sight of the stars. "What do you think, Wynonna?"

"You're the captain."

Nicole was slightly taken aback by her hostility, but she was used to people snapping at her and decided to focus on her deference instead.

"We're not going the long way," Waverly said as she flipped a switch on the dashboard with one hand while turning a knob with the other. "It's a waste of time."

Well, that settle it, Nicole thought. "I disagree. I think it's wiser to play it safe this time. Please send Jeremy the coordinates for out new trajectory so he can calculate how much fuel we'll need for the longer route."

For a few minutes, silence filled the simulcraft as everyone focused on their tasks, Wynonna kept watch on the radar, scanning for obstacles, while Jeremy monitored the craft's engines and life support systems, and Waverly piloted.

Jeremy cleared his throat. "Waverly, did you send those coordinates?"

"I did."

"Okay.." Jeremy sounded slightly anxious. "Because it looks like we're still taking the more direct route."

"That's correct."

"Waverly," Nicole said, burrowing the same slow, patronizing tone she'd used with her earlier. _Lord, this was going to be fun._ "Did I not instruct you to take the longer route?"

"You did, Captain."

"So i take it you're disobeying orders?"

"Section 4 of the Fleets doctrine, paragraph B," Waverly recited. "Crew has the legal and moral authority to overrule a commanding officer's order in exceptional circumstances including but not limited to mental incapacity, physical incapacity, and gross incompetence." 

"Which one of those applies to me?" Nicole asked, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice.

The simulcraft shook violently as bits of rock began bouncing off the windows. _Simulated ice,_ Nicole reminded herself as the craft rumbled again.

"To late to turn around now!" Waverly called cheerfully as she steered deftly around the jagged chunks of ice hurtling toward them, some larger than their ship. Nicole didn't have a ton of experience in this area, but they seem to be traveling at an alarming speed.

Wynonna mutter something under her breath as Waverly narrowly avoided a jagged piece of ice, then swerved in the other direction, mission the obstacle by a hair.

The surface of the asteroid appeared, an endless stretch of craggy peaks and dangerous looking crevasses that grew larger as Waverly began to descend. Come on, Nicole urged, despite herself.

"Which of those craters has the best landing surface?" Waverly asked.

Wynonna quickly pressed a few buttons, and the craters on her screen turned different colors. "The long narrow one."

"Watch it!" Jeremy called as a huge stream of gas shot up from one of the cracks in the asteroid's surface.

With one fluid movement, Waverly turned the craft horizontal, sending blood rushing to Nicole's head, the straightened up again.

"Nicely done," Jeremy said hoarsely.

Somehow, she managed to find a patch of level ground nestled between the ridges. Jeremy deployed the drill that collected the soil sample, and a few minutes later they were off again, speeding through the minefield of the steroid belt.

_"Mission complete,"_ the voice from earlier announced. _"Calculating final score. Your score is... eighty seven."_

Waverly sprang to her fee, grinning. To Nicole's surprise, she looked nothing like the tense, rigid girl who'd greeted her. Her face glowed, and her dark eyes sparkled with triumph. She beamed as she looked at the score flashing on the screen, oblivious to the sweaty strands of hair clinging to her flushed face.

"Great job, everyone!" Nicole leaned back in the chair and placed her hands behind her head as she surveyed her squadron with a smile.

"Aren't you glad we took the shorter way?" Waverly asked.

"I guess it depends. Is eighty seven a good score?"

Waverly tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Yes. Eighty seven is a VERY good." She took a deep breath, as if summoning all her self control. "Great job, everyone."

"Not to shabby," Jeremy said, clearly delighted. "So what now?"

Waverly seem to relax. "We get to do a victory lab around the common room," she said with a smile. "Who's in?"

"I'm definitely in," Jeremy said.

Nicole knew it was petty, but she couldn't wait to see the look on those Purgatory assholes' faces when they found out how well they'd done. "I suppose I could drop by for a minute," Nicole said. This could be her last chance to show off before she got the hell out of here. "Wynonna?"

"I need to study," she said curtly.

They filed out into the hall and walked in silence toward the main corridor that led to the center of the Academy. Nicole racked her brain for something to say, back on Titan, she'd mostly interacted with people she'd known her whole life and rarely had to make small talk. But before she could speak. Jeremy inhaled sharply. Nicole spun around to see him staring at something written on the wall, a message that hadn't been there when he'd arrived.

**_GO HOME EDGERS._ **

Nicole's stomach curled with anger and disgust. She'd heard the hateful word before, of course, but this was different. This was directed at her, her squadron mates, and all the settlers. It wasn't an offhand insult, it was a threat.

"Who... who would do this?" Jeremy asked quietly.

"I don't know," Waverly said, her jaw clenched. "But they're not going to get away with it."

_Like hell they're not,_ Nicole thought as she pictured the smug faces of all the boys who'd pulled the dangerous prank in the zero gravity room. If they hadn't done this, some other assholes had. The Purgatorians couldn't keep getting away with stuff like this. Nicole might be days away from being arrested for treason, but that didn't mean she couldn't go down swinging.


	9. Wynonna

The corridors were full of anxious chatter as Wynonna made her way back to her room. Word of the graffiti had apparently spread quickly. The cowardly act of vandalism had confirmed everything Wynonna had ever heard or suspected about these people. Her tutors hadn't taught her a great deal of their slang, so she wasn't entirely sure what Edger meant, but from the looks on Jeremy's and Natalie's faces, it was clearly an insult. If this was how they treated on another, it was no wonder that their leaders showed no qualms about annihilating a foreign population on a far off planet.

By the time Wynonna had left the simulcraft corridor, a small crowd had formed to gawk at the message despite the instructors' best efforts to keep everyone moving. "The administration is investigating the infraction," the instructor had said to a trio of anxious looking Panamaians. "Whoever's responsible will face disciplinary action." The Panamaians hadn't seemed convinced, and neither was Wynonna. The Fleet was lying to civilians about its secret attacks on Ghost River, it was hard to imagine anyone getting worked up over a crude message scrawled on the wall of the Academy/

_"You've left the simulcraft earlier than expected. Consider using this extra time for cardiovascular conditioning. For directions to the gymnasium, say directions."_

"Dismiss," Wynonna said testily. She'd spend the past three years training twelve hours a day for this mission. She was probably in better shape than anyone at the Academy. But that wouldn't help her with her next step in her plan, she had to find another way to capture and transmit the school's coordinates. As the shuttle from Panama took off, the windows had darkened for security purpose. However, the windows of the Academy itself were transparent, and if Wynonna managed to collect enough data about the position of the stars, she could use them to triangulate her location. Then she'd just have to find a way to transmit that information back to Ghost River. It was far more complicated plan than the original, but she'd figure out a way to make it work. She'd already received two messages from her commanding officer asking for updates on her progress. Wynonna hoped that General Doll's would giver her the benefit of the doubt and realize that the technology she'd been given had malfunctioned.

Wynonna placed her hand against the scanner outside her suite, and the other slid open. To her surprise, Rosita was in the living room. "Hi there," she said, glancing over her shoulder to smile at Wynonna. "Do you mind if I put this up in here?" Rosita rose onto her toes to drape a deep purple silk wall hanging.

"No," Wynonna said without stopping.

"Oh, good. This room could use some cheer. And I don't think either of the boys will care. Carl spends most of his time off with his Purgatorian Friends anyway."

Cadets were assigned rooms in clusters of four, with a shared living space and communal bathroom. In addition to Rosita, there was Carl, a boy from Purgatory she'd only seen twice, and a boy from Titan named Quint, who spend most of his time with fellow Titanians who lived down the hall.

Rosita finished affixing the wall hanging, then turned to Wynonna with a smile. "Where on Panama are you from again?" Rosita asked.

_Do it just like you practiced._ "I'm from outside of Homestead, in the northwest quadrant."

Rosita brightened. "Really? That's where my cousins live. What sector?"

"Forty two," Wynonna said, her heart beginning to pound. She wished she'd created a fake Ginusian identity instead. The Ginusians seemed to ask fewer questions.

"It's beautiful there. Do you have any pics? I love seeing people with their families."

"No," she said curtly. Wynonna had never had any friends or family to take pics with. After her parents had been killed in one of the attacks, she'd been placed in government home where she'd had few friends. Once the directors learned about her gift for mathematics and languages, she'd been shipped off to a military base to be trained as a special operative. There were others like her, but the children were kept in isolation lest they form too many bonds among themselves. It was a harsh way to grow up, but Wynonna understood the reasoning. Having no one she cared about made it much easier to leave everything behind... especially when there was no guarantee she'd ever return.

"That's okay," Rosita said hesitantly. "We can take lots of pics next week. Do you know what you're going to wear?"

_This is ridiculous,_ Wynonna thought. She had to focus on her mission; she couldn't waste time making frivolous small talk with Rosita. Part of Wynonna wanted to ignore the question and march straight into her room, but she didn't want to raise any red flags. She had to blend in here, and that meant appearing to be friendly. "Wear to what?"

Rosita brightened. "To the first year formal! Didn't you hear about it!? It's usually later in the term, but the Academy was apparently worried about all of us 'bonding' so they made it earlier."

"A formal? Is that like a party?" Wynonna asked. She thought back to the words _GO HOME EDGERS_ written in the main corridor; she had a feeling the Academy was going to need a lot more than a party to make everyone get along.

"Yes! Do you want to borrow something to wear? I brought way too much, considering how much time we spend in uniform. Come see!"

"That's not necessary. I'm not much of a 'party person'" Wynonna said, although she knew it wasn't true. She'd never turn down a party, but she has a mission to do. That was far more important than some party with these murders.

"Just have a look, and then you can decide." Rosita grabbed Wynonna's arm and pulled her toward her bedroom.

Rosita's tiny room was the same size as Wynonna's, but it contained at least four times as many objects. Every surface was covered with clothes, grooming supplies, and various trinkets. "Here," Rosita said, digging into one of the piles on her chair. "I have a red dress that's going to do amazing things to your eyes."

"To my eyes?" Wynonna repeated skeptically. She tried to imagine a garment that came equipped with magnifying device or some other tool to enhance vision.

"Absolutely. Look!" Rosita yanked something from the bottom of the pile, which promptly collapsed and spilled off the chair onto the floor. She held up the item for Wynonna to admire. "You have to try it on."

Wynonna resignedly accepted the red dress from Rosita, then went to her own room to change. The dress was so tight that Wynonna had to take shorter steps, which seemed foolish to her. Clothing was supposed to enhance your body, protecting you from ice rain, liquid magma, and flesh eating bacteria. What was the point of wearing something that made if difficult to walk?

She toddled back into Rosita's room, expecting her roommate to make a similar pronouncement. But as Wynonna entered, Rosita clapped her hands and squealed, "It's perfect! You look amazing!"

"I'm not sure.." Wynonna said, pulling on the hem that ended well above her knees.

Wynonna turned to look at her reflection in the narrow mirror on the back of Rosita's closet door. The deep red color was certainly striking, although Wynonna didn't know why anyone would wear a garment that seemed designed to attract attention. What if you needed to hide from your enemies? Or a hungry razor beaked jagraw?

"It's too small," Wynonna said, gesturing at the fabric hugging her hips.

"Are you kidding?" Rosita said with a laugh. "I'd kill to look like you in that dress."

Like most of the fleets girls she'd seen at the Academy, Rosita was slimmer than Wynonna, whose rounder hips and slightly bigger chest provided much needed energy stores for her planet's four hundred day winter. On Rosita, the dress would be much looser, which seemed to Wynonna ideal for movement.

"You have to wear that to the party," Rosita continued.

"I'm.. I'm not sure if I'm going." Wynonna was having enough trouble trying to keep a low profile in class, where the rules were fairly logical and consistent. It'd be foolish to attend a non mandatory social function and face a whole new set of perils. What if she accidentally did or said something that made it clear she hadn't grown up in the Fleet's System?

"Oh, you're going. We all have to go. We can't let the Purgatorian kids think that the school still belongs to them." Rosita took a step back and cocked her head to the side as she surveyed Wynonna with a smile. "Besides, it'd be a shame if you never wore that dress. You look beautiful."

To her surprise, Wynonna felt something inside her soften. No one had ever called her beautiful before. _She must have some ulterior motive,_ Wynonna thought. Fleet people didn't just do nice things for strangers.

"You know what? Just leave it on for a bit and see how you feel. You can decide what to do later."

Wynonna nodded and walked out of Rosita's room, desperate to banish the troubling thoughts hovering at the edges of her mind. She couldn't afford to let the actions of a few kind Fleeters make her doubt her mission. She was here to save the Revenants from annihilation no matter the cost.


	10. Waverly

Waverly smoothed her skirt, then strode into the dinning hall. Dinner had quickly become her favorite meal at the Academy; since uniforms weren't required, it was the one time she didn't have to wear clothes emblazoned with her attention grabbing last name or his disappointment assignment.

She also loved how the room looked at night, when the Academy's lights dimmed to simulate dusk. The chandelier had been brought all the way from Purgatory three hundred years ago, a relic from a different age, when cadets had been training to subdue rebellions on the outer planets instead of preparing to fight the Revenants.

As she headed toward her usual table in the middle of the hall, dodging attendants zipping back and forth with trays of appetizers, Waverly glanced at the portraits lining the walls. For the first few days, she'd found their stern expressions disconcerting; they bore an uncanny resemblance to the look on Admiral Gibson's face when Waverly told her she'd been made pilot instead of captain. But after her squadron's series of promising practice sessions that week, the painted faces felt less censorious and more representative of the seriousness of the cadets' endeavors here, of the centuries long tradition of excellence.

Waverly was pretty sure the Jeremy was some kind of math genius. And even though she'd barely spoken, Wynonna was clearly highly intelligent. Waverly's opinion on their captain, Natalie, hadn't improved much on further acquaintance. But although she was arrogant, she wasn't incompetent, and Waverly was starting to feel more hopeful about their chances.

As usual, her friends from home had saved her a seat. A small part of her felt guilty about always sitting at a table of Purgatorians, but after a long day of classes, studying, conditioning, and squadron practice, she was too tired to make the effort required to talk to new people. Besides, she doubted any of the settlers wanted an Purgatorian at their table. Ever since last week's vandalism incident, the atmosphere had felt even tenser than before. The Titanians, Panamaians, and Ginusians seemed to look at every Purgatorian with suspicion, which the cadets from Purgatory found highly offensive. But whenever Waverly found herself tempted by similar indignation, she recalled the looks on her squadron mates' faces when they saw the graffiti, Natalie's stony rage, Wynonna's stoic silence, and Jeremy's mixture of hurt and confusion.

"Wave, there you are," Champ said, placing his hand on her arm. "We were just talking about how well your squadron's been doing at practice. You must be excited for the first real battle next week."

Out of the corner of her eye, Waverly saw Steph smirk, but she chose to ignore it. Despite Waverly's squadron's high practice scores, the team's makeup struck Steph as endlessly amusing. "We've certainly been improving."

"Sorry I'm late." Waverly turned to see her friend Robing slide into the last open seat.

"Evening, Robin," Perry said. "I heard you squadron had some trouble in the simulcraft today. How many times did you explode?"

"You of all people should know better than to listen to rumors," Robin said as he reached for a roll.

Perry raised one perfectly arched eyebrow. "Most of the rumors about me happen to be true."

"I don't think any of you have a right to complain in front of poor Waves," Steph said. "I still can't believe you have to deal with a Titainian captain. Has to be awful?" There was a note of sympathy in her voice at odds with the gleam of delight in her eyes.

Waverly hesitated. She was still disappointed and frustrated about not being captain, but perhaps there was a chance for her to distinguish herself in another way, as the brilliant pilot flew Squadron 30 to victory. "We're figuring it out," she said.

"But what's going to happen when they make cuts at the end of the year?" Steph pressed. "Do you think you'll get to stay at the Academy?"

Champ glared at Steph, the reached for Waverly's hand and squeezed it. "If her squadron does well in the tournament, she won't have a problem."

"I'm sure you're right," Steph said sweetly. "After all, your mom can always pull some strings for you, can't she, Waves?"

"That won't be necessary," Waverly said icily as Champ whispered for her to keep it together. She was going to prove her mother wrong. She was going to prove everyone wrong.

* * *

_Waverly hurried down the stairs as quickly as she could without tripping over her long dress. Her parents were having one of their famous dinner parties tonight, and for the first time, Waverly was allowed to join. The guests were all high ranking officers of the Fleet or important diplomats, and Waverly was determined to make a good impression and make her mother proud._

_She straightened the strap of her purple silk dress and strode into the library. It was cold for early autumn on Purgatory, and one of the attendants had lit the fire. The crackling flames filled the library with a warm glow that made everything look cheerful, even the animal heads mounted on the walls. Her father's prized trophy, the horned mountain cat, seemed to have a sparkle in his fierce dark eyes._

_But the library was empty. From the scattered glasses, it was clear her parents and their guests had already finished their drinks. "You're late, Ms. Waverly," a voice said from behind her. "They've moved to the dining room."_

_"What?" She spun around to face the attendant. "Is she angry?"_

_"I have stopped trying to analyze your mother's emotions," Bz said, moving smoothly around the room to collect the discarded glasses._

_Waverly smiled. Bz had been with her family since before she was born, and after so many years, he felt more like a confidant than an attendant. "I should go. Wish me luck, Bz."_

_"No luck necessary, Ms. Waverly. If your parents' guests aren't impressed with you, it means they have glitches and require reprogramming."_

_Waverly took a deep breath, but before she could let it out, a voice called from the doorway, "There you are." Waverly turned to see her mother looking impossibly elegant in a black silk gown. Unlike other career officers, Admiral Michelle Gibson never seemed uneasy in civilian clothes, she wore her evening dress with the same confidence as she did her uniform._

_Waverly suppressed a sigh. Of course her mother had come to find her. Admiral Gibson never left anything to chance, whether she was leading a covert operation in the asteroid belt or ensuring that her daughter made it to dinner on time._

_"I'm sorry. I lost track of time during conditioning," Waverly said, a note of pride in her voice. Her mother always complained about cadets who showed up at the Academy unprepared for the physical rigors of the military life. Although she wouldn't be applying for another three years, Waverly had already started training._

_To Waverly's dismay, Admiral Gibson's face showed no sigh of approval. "Was that before or after you got the results of your multivariable calculus exam?"_

_Waverly's stomach plummeted down toward the silver shoes she'd been saving for tonight. "It was just the midterm. There's time for me to bring my grade up before the final."_

_"There won't be if you waste all your time on the gravity track instead of studying." Her mother let out a long sigh and crossed her arms in front of her. "Honestly, I expected more of you, Waverly."_

_Waverly felt her cheeks start to burn. "I'll do better. I promise."_

_"I hope so." Without another word, Admiral Gibson turned around and strode out the door._

_Waverly hurried after her, moving as quickly as she could in her new shoes. But before she could catch up, her mother glanced over her shoulder. "I don't think dinner is a good idea, do you? You clearly need the time to study."_

_The words struck Waverly like a blow, and she stopped in her tracks. She'd been looking forward to this dinner for ages. Her mother had even promised to let her sit next to the Commander, the highest ranking officer in the Space fleet. "Okay," she said quietly. But it was too late. Her mother was already gone._

_Bz glided up to her. "I'll bring you something to eat in your room." Waverly nodded. "Don't let your mother upset you."_

_"I'm not upset, Bz," Waverly said, turning away as she spoke._

_With thirteen years of facial recognition data at his disposal, he could always tell when she was lying._

* * *

"Besides, Waverly will get the grades she needs to continue on the officer track," Champ said, still holding her hand.

Steph nodded as she took a dainty sip of soup. "Absolutely. It just puts so much more pressure on you with exams and everything. Not that I'm worried. If anyone can do it, it's Waverly."

Perry shot Waverly a sympathetic look, then made a show of clearing his throat to change the subject. "We should leave the tournament aside for the moment and talk about what really matters." He made an exaggerated show of scanning the dining hall. "Which outer planet delicacy I'm going to sample at the formal tomorrow. The obvious answer is a Ginusian, of course. All those miner muscles. But then again, they spend so much time swimming on Panama, and it has the most wonderful effect on their calves." His voice grew slightly dreamy. "And their abs."

Steph jabbed him with her elbow. "No fantasizing about the settlers at the table, Perry. Besides, I have something far more important to discuss." She glanced around the dining hall dramatically, the lowered her voice. "I thought it'd be fun to liven things up once the battles start, so I'm organizing a little betting ring."

"Seriously, Steph? This again?" Robin said. Last year at their old school, Steph had done something similar, having students bet on who'd be admitted to the Academy. Things had gotten heated, and a few friendships had been ruined.

"If you don't like it, you don't have to participate." Steph shrugged. "I think it adds an extra bit of excitement. Besides, it's too late to stop now. More than a dozen people have already placed their bets for one week. Of course, I'm going to adjust the odds every week based on squadron rankings and practice scores."

"How do you have time for all this?" Perry asked, staring at Steph with mixture of skepticism and amusement.

"I'll make it work. Though being captain is exhausting, there's so much to keep track of. You're actually really lucky, Waves that you can just focus on piloting."

Waverly ignored the jab. She'd put Steph in her place when they faced off in a few weeks.

Steph extended her arm toward Perry with her palm facing up and gave him an imploring look.

"Not now," he said through clenched teeth.

"Come on," Steph said, wiggling her fingers. "No one's looking."

With a sigh, Perry reached into his suit pocket, produced a tiny purple pill, and slipped it into Steph's hand.

"Thank you," she said sweetly, as if he'd just given her a pencil instead of a dangerous illegal drug.

"Anyone else?" Perry asked wearily. "Champ?" Waves?"

Waverly hesitated. Her squadron's battle was coming up soon, the day after the formal, and it'd be nice to guarantee that she'd be in top form. She wondered if perhaps the risks of plum dust had been overblown. After all, everyone else had apparently been taking it for years. She didn't need much, just enough to sharpen her focus and reflexes in the simulcraft. If she piloted her squadron to victory, then maybe it wouldn't matter that she didn't make captain. She'd find another way to prove to her mother and everyone else that she belonged here. Finally she extended her hand and let Perry place the pill in her palm. She nodded, then slipped it into her pocket. If she kept flying as well as she had today, there'd be no need for the dust, but it made sense to hold on to it just in case.


	11. Jeremy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it has taken me so long to get this chapter out. My school schedule and coming up with a story is not working te greatest right now.

Jeremy stood up and surveyed his reflection in the mirror one final time. He didn't have any "evening attire" - hardly any of the cadets from the outer planets did. But he figured his nicest shirt and trousers would be fine. He just hoped he wouldn't run into Robin tonight. Once Jeremy had come to terms with the fact that the dinner invitation had likely been a joke, he'd skipped the dining hall that night and had managed o avoid catching Robin's eye in class the next day. Jeremy was thankful that Robin hadn't tried to speak to him either, which meant that he probably moved on to a new victim. Or, even better, had decided to leave the settlers alone.

As they'd discussed, Jeremy stopped to pick up Sola so they could walk to the formal together. She looked very pretty in her gray skirt and white blouse, but they still stood ou in the sea of cadets in dark suits and brightly colored dresses making their way through the corridor. "Don't worry about it," Sola whispered to Jeremy. "You look so handsome, no one will notice you're not in a suit. In fact, you'll probably start a new trend."

 _"_ I'm sure you're right. Tomorrow, when I put on my uniform, the badge will say Jeremy Chetri. Style icon. Squadron 20."

Sola laughed "So where is this thing?'

"In the ballroom"

Sola rolled her eyes. "Come on."

"No, I'm serious!" Jeremy said, "There's actually a ballroom."

"Why, in the hell, would they build a ballroom in a space station?"

"I guess that was considered a necessity four hundred years ago." For centuries, the Academy had been a very different place - more of a playground for the Purgatory Elite. That was during a time of relative peace in the System, after Panama, Titan, and Ginus had been settled but before the rebellions began and well before the first Revenant attacks.

An Attendant was standing guard at the entrance. Someone had affixed a bow tie to the closest thing the machine had to a neck. As Sola ad Jeremy approached, it spoke. "Evening attire is required for tonight's event, sir," the attendant said with a surprising amount of scorn. Jeremy could almost sense a sneer on the machine's smooth, featureless face.

Heat rose to Jermey's cheeks, though he knew it was ridiculous to feel belittled by a robot. He shifted uncomfortably from side to side, then stopped, worried about scuffing the shoes he'd taken such care to shine before the party.

"That's not true," Sola said, stepping forward to stand next to Jeremy. "We were explicitly told that formal wear was encouraged but not required."

Jeremy nodded. Apparently, since so few of the outer planet cadets had brought evening attire to the Academy, the rules had been relaxed.

"My instructions have not been updated," the attendant said. "I encourage you to return to your rooms and change."

Jeremy felt something inside him deflate. It would be difficult to wear a suit he didn't own. He'd never seen anyone wear one from his planet except for the pompous mayor.

A striking girl wearing an exquisitely tailored dress appeared next to them. It was Waverly, though Jeremy barely recognized her out of uniform. "Just ignore him," she told Jeremy and Sola airily. "Someone forgot to upload the new dress code. Don't worry about it."

Without waiting for the attendant's response, Waverly nodded at Jeremy, then strode into the hall, waved at a friend on the other side o the room, and disappeared into the crowd. Sola and Jeremy exchanged a wordless glance, the followed her inside.

The large oval-shaped room before them was dimly lit. An enormous glass chandelier hung from the ceiling and candle bulbs flickered on each table. Attendants glided smoothly back and forth, carrying trays with exotic looking beverages. About three-quarters of the cadets were in formal wear - Purgatorian and Settler cadets who'd been savvy enough or wealthy enough to bring the right clothes with them. The remaining quarter wore whatever they'd managed to put together,

Three boys walked by, laughing and clinking their glasses without spilling a drop. Each looked perfectly at ease in the suits that probably cost more than Jeremy's mother's yearly salary. He tried to imagine what it'd be like to feel so comfortable, to know that you belonged. 

Jeremy had felt uneasy around the Purgatorians ever since discovering the vandalism. Who'd done it? Was it that haughty looking girl who'd sneered at him when they'd bumped into each other in the corridor? Was it one o the boys who'd laughed at him o the track that day? Or, worse, was it one of the friendly Purgatorians? One of the people who said hateful things only behind closed doors? A knot formed in his stomach as a new theory took shape. Could it have possibly been Robin? While unlikely, it did seem like something General Jett's son would do.

"Maybe this was a mistake," Sola said, staring at a girl in a dress made of shimmery purple and gree feathers.

"That's ridiculous," Jeremy said, trying to sound airy and relaxed. "This is our school too. We can't let them intimidate us. Come on," he said, tugging on her sleeve. "Let's get something to drink."

"Okay." Sola let out a long breath. "Just promise you won't abandon me."

"I promise. Though I probably shouldn't stay very long. We have our first battle in the morning."

"Iknow." Sola smiled. "You wouldn't stop talking about it at lunch."

"Sorry," Jeremy said, blushing. "I'm just excited." Their past few training sessions had gone really well, and he couldn't wait to see how his squadron worked together under pressure.

"Do you see any of the other Ginusians?" Sola asked.

Jeremy scanned the room. "No," he said. "Do you thin they chickened out?"

A voice reached out from the din. "Sola!" A girl with dark brown skin wearing a pink dress strode toward them. "I'm so glad you're here. West has the best idea for our new attack formation. You have to come with me." She smiled at Jeremy. "Sorry, top-secret squadron business. You understand."

"Do you mine?" Sola asked, eyes darting between him and her squadmates. "I know I just made you promise not to abandon me."

Jeremy glanced around the room again, trying to find at least one familiar face, but he didn't see anyone he knew. He didn't want Sola to worry, though. "It's fine," Jeremy said, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice. He was training to fight Revenants, for god's sake. He could handle a few minutes at a party on his own.

Sola shot him a grateful smile. "Okay, thanks. I'll be right back."

"Have fun." He tried to keep his own smile firmly in place until she was out of sight.

Jeremy pretended to check a message on his phone. It was too awkward to keep standing at the entrance, scanning the room for a sign of welcome that would never materialize, but walking around looking lost might be even worse.

Maybe he could pretend to go use the bathroom. But which way was that? An attendant glided by, carrying a tray full of drinks. "Excuse me," Jeremy said, "where is the-" But the attendant zipped past without acknowledging him.

"Here, I bet you could use one of these."

Jeremy turned to see Waverly standing in front of him holding two glasses full of pale pink liquid. Each was topped with a slice of red fruit Jeremy didn't recognize and a cluster of dark green leaves.

"Thank you," Jeremy said gratefully. He reached for one of the drinks, taking care not to let any of it slosh over the rim.

Waverly clinked her glass against Jeremy's. "Unity and prosperity," she said, reciting the traditional Fleet toast before taking a sip. Jeremy did the same and was surprised by the rush of sweetness. He took a larger sip. They didn't have anything like this on Ginus.

"Good, right? Don't get used to it, though. They only serve Pinkberry juice on special occasions." Waverly glanced over her shoulder, then lowered her voice. "My friend Perry added a little Plum dust tp these, so don't drink it too quickly."

Jeremy looked at the glass again, slightly startled. He'd never had anything with alcohol in it before. "Don't worry," Waverly said with a smile. "There's not that much. You can add more if you want, though." She paused for a moment. "My friends are all over there. Come hand out with us for a bit."

Jeremy hesitated. He appreciated the friendly gesture, but he could hear the uncertainty in Waverly's voice.

"Thanks, but I'm fine," Jeremy said, trying to sound more confident and cheerful than he felt.

"I mean it." Waverly smiled and tugged on his sleeve. "It's ridiculous that none of us hang out with people from other planets."

"You're right." Jeremy nodded. "This is a serious diplomatic mission. Okay, lead the way, Ambassador Gibson." He was glad for the excuse to join Waverly and her friends, at least until he found Sola again. Over the course of the past week, he'd found himself warming to Waverly more and more, she didn't seem surprised by the talents and abilities of her Settler squadmates. He just hopes she and Natalie wouldn't butt heads tomorrow. Sometimes, their conflict pushed both of them to perform better. More often, it caused them to lose focus.

Jeremy took a deep breath as he followed Waverly over to a group of Purgatorians, all of them in suits and evening dresses. _It's fine,_ Jeremy told himself. _Just stay calm and don't let them intimidate you._

He scanned the group, and his heart slammed against his chest. Dash was with them.

He wore a dark suit that fit his tall, slim body more closely than his uniform - the narrow jacket showed off his flat stomach, and the black trousers made his legs look even longer than usual. He hadn't spotted Jeremy yet and was absorbed in conversation with a smiling Purgatorian Jeremy recognized as Waverly's boyfriend, Champ.

Jeremy's stomach twisted with a combination of embarrassment and nerves, his mouth going dry as he searched his brain for a game plan. Should he say hi? Or just ignore him altogether?

When they reached the group, Waverly gestured toward Jeremy. "This is Jeremy, from my squadron. Jeremy, this is Champ, Steph, Robin, and Perry."

Everyone nodded or waved except for Robin, who stared at Jeremy with an expression he couldn't quite identify. Not irritation or disdain, but something almost along the lines of hurt. Jeremy felt an unexpected twinge of guilt. What if Robin's invitation hadn't been a joke? What if he'd gone to dinner that night looking for Jeremy?

Without saying a word, Robin turned back to Champ and resumed talking, his smile suggesting nothing other than the ironic amusement that came so naturally to the Purgatorians. Of course it'd been a joke. Jeremy was a fool to think otherwise.

"Perry's the one who can upgrade your drink if you want," Waverly said, gesturing at a handsome boy with smooth dark skin and high cheekbones.

"I'm fine, thank you," Jeremy said, wishing he knew how to sound as confident and careless as they did.

A blond girl in a spotless white dress, the one Waverly had introduced as Steph, cocked her head as she surveyed him curiously. "I thought everyone of Ginus drank."

Jeremy stared at her for a moment, unsure of how to respond. "Some do, some don't. Just like on Purgatory, I imagine."

Waverly shot her friend a warning look, but Steph ignored her. "But aren't people always going on and on about people on Ginus drinking themselves to death? I mean, I get it. It's cold, and there's nothing else to do. I'm sure I'd be obliterated most of the time if I lived there."

"Cut it out, Steph." Waverly said, then shot Jeremy an apologetic look as Perry shook his head and said with a laugh, "We can't take her anywhere."

An attendant glided up to the group with a tray of fruit Jeremy didn't recognize. There was no way to grow produce on Ginus outside climate-controlled greenhouses, which made it too expensive for most people.

The others each took some, so Jeremy followed suit and spend the next few minutes chewing on something tart and prickly as he listened to the Purgatorians gossip about people he didn't know, speculating on how they'd fare in the tournament and who'd catch the attention of the Commander. A few times, Waverly stopped to explain to Jeremy whom they were talking about, but after a while, she got too caught up in the conversation to keep making asides.

Jeremy did his best to look relaxed and interested, but all he could really think about was his rumbling stomach. He'd been too nervous about tomorrow's battle to eat much at dinner, so when another attendant arrived with more refreshments, Jeremy was relieved to see something he recognized - a bun of some sort. He picked it up and took a large bite.

Bitter black liquid burst out, splashing Jeremy's face and burning his eyes. Across from him, he heard Steph shriek while Perry gasped, and Waverly and Champ smothered laughs. Heart pounding, Jeremy tried wiping his face with his napkin, but it only seemed to make things worse. Everything suddenly went blurry.

"Are you an idiot?" Steph said.

Jeremy blinked. The room came back into focus, and his stomach clenched when he saw Steph, her hair and her white dress splattered with black. "I'm so sorry," Jeremy said, forcing the words out of his tightening throat.

"Apparently, they don't have octopods on Ginus." Perry flashed a tight smile. "The body is full of ink. The round brown thing Jeremy had mistaken for a bun was flipped over, revealing eight spindly legs he hadn't noticed.

"Everything is _fine,"_ Waverly said, passing Step her napkin.

Steph shooed her hand away. "That's not going to help," she hissed.

"I'm sorry," Jeremy said again, glancing at Robin, who was staring at him with another inscrutable expression. "Can I get you something? Water?"

Steph glowered at him without saying anything.

"I guess I'd better go clean up. I'm sorry." He spun around and hurried away, grateful that the blood rushing in his ears kept him from hearing whatever the Purgatorians were saying about him.

This time, the attendant at the door said nothing as he passed. The hallway was deserted, he noticed with relief. He didn't want to see anyone right now.

He slouched against the sleek metal wall, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes.

He'd been a fool to think he stood a chance here. Doing well on a math test had nothing to do with what actually went on at the Academy. It was a mistake for anyone to believe that they could scoop up a few Ginusians who'd scored well on an exam, dump them in a place where they hand;t been welcome for the past five hundred years, and expect them to succeed.

"You okay?"

Jeremy opened his eyes and saw Robin staring at him with concern. "Yes, I'm fine," he said, turning away so Robin wouldn't see the shame on his face.

"Do you want to clean up and them come back inside for a bid?" Robin asked tentatively.

"I'm pretty tired. I think I should probably head back and get some rest."

"Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to walk you back to your room?"

He was looking at Jeremy with a combination of kindness and sympathy that only a master manipulator would be able to fake, but then again, that's exactly what his father was famous for. "No, thanks. I'm fine."

Hurt flashed across Robin's face. "Sorry, did I do something wrong? I thought..." He paused to take a breath. "I was looking for you the other night."

Part of Jeremy was desperate to believe him, but another part was still reeling from the Purgatorian's laughter. He couldn't allow himself to look like a fool again. "If you need someone to prove your father's point about ignorant Settlers, you should keep looking."

Robin cringed and closed his eyes, as if Jeremy had just hit him. "You don't know anything about that," he said softly.

"We get the news on Ginus," Jeremy said, unable to keep the venom out of his voice. "You father said Settlers posed a greater security threat than the Revenants."

Robin shook his head. "No, I mean you don't know anything about my relationship with my father."

Jeremy could see the pain in Robin's face, but it wasn't enough to keep the bitter words from tumbling out. "Oh, so what- you agree or disagree? Do you have a rule about not dicussing politics over dinner?"

"I swear, I'm nothing like him. I barely even see him." Robin's voice cracked slightly, and suddenly, the suspicion and anger that had been building in Jeremy's chest began to drain away.

"I'm sorry," Jeremy said, letting out a long breath. "I should've asked you about it instead of making up some story in my head."

To Jeremy's relief, Robin smilied, and Jeremy felt a fizzy tingle in his stomach. "I don't know," Robin said. "I kind of like the idea of you thinking about me. I just want to make sure they're mostly good things." Robin took Jeremy's hand, sending a jolt of electricity through his entire body. "Let's go get you cleaned up, and then we can head back inside."

For a moment, all Jeremy could focus on was the feel of Robin's hand, the warm pressure banishing all other thoughts in his head. But as Robin began to lead him down the hall, Jeremy hesitated. "Aren't you embarrassed to be seen with me after what happened? Your friends must think I'm and idiot."

Robin made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a snort. "Embarrassed? That was fantastic!! Steph has been insufferable lately, and she got exactly what she deserved. Now let's go. Anyone who scored 223 on that exam can handle a few stuck-up Purgatory kids."

Jeremy smiled. "I scored a 223."

"I know. But I've awarded you ten bonus points."

"For what?"

Robin raised an eyebrow, then grinned, revealing the dimple that made Jeremy melt. "For not realizing how adorable you are. It's pretty charming."

"Adorable," Jeremy repeated as warmth flooded his chest. "I'm not sure adorable is what a self-respecting Fleet cadet should be aiming for."

"Well, then it's a good thing you're not a pilot, because your aim would be terrible. You crash-landed on adorable, and there's no going back." He reached over and gave Jeremy's hand a quick squeeze. "Now come on. I have a perverse desire to see how you tackle dessert."


	12. Nicole

It certainly didn't look like any party Nicole had ever been to. No one had passed out on a couch. No drunken fights had broken out. And there wasn't a pile of gas masks by the door. She supposed she could see the appeal. There were nights when you just didn't feel like punching a surly acquaintance in the face and then braving a walk in the poisonous night air to get home.

The party was in an enormous wood-paneled room that must've cost a fortune to build in a space station. It was ridiculous what these people spent money on; the chandelier alone would probably pay for a year's worth of drinking water in Tower B. But she couldn't deny that it had a certain charm. Soft light suffused the room and made everything glow, from the ornate glasses on the refreshment table to the faces of the cadets.

It all seemed so elegant and serene, it was almost impossible to believe that at any moment the Fleet guards could rush in and seize Nicole and drag her away. She'd barley been able to sleep the past few days, and yesterday she was woken up in such a state of panic, she'd actually snuck down to the launch bay to see if there was any chance of stealing onto one of the military cargo ships that periodically transported supplies from Purgatory. To her dismay, she'd been stopped almost immediately by one of the guards, who made it clear that she wouldn't accept her "I was lost" excuse more than once.

"What's going on?"

Nicole jumped to the side, heart racing

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

She turned to see a pretty girl with thick, wavy black hair ad deep brown eyes looking at her with concern. From her relaxed posture and long elegant dress, it was clear she was from Purgatory.

She took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure.

"No, I'm sorry. I was... thinking about something else."

She smiled. "Yeah, I could tell. I imagine this party feels a little strange to you."

"What part? This?" Nicole squinted at her glass, which was full of a weird pink liquid topped with leaves. "Yeah, on Titan, we don;t make water dress up for parties."

"It's not water. It's Pinkberry juice. And if you want" - she glanced around the room, eyes flashing-"I can get you some Plum dust to give it a bit more kick."

Nicole raised an eyebrow. "Now, this is strange. Where I'm from, pretty girls don't materialize out of thin air and offer to get you drunk."

She laughed, but before she could respond, someone else appeared to Nicole's side. "Nice try, Loo." Waverly said, raising an eyebrow as she surveyed the other girl. "But getting my captain drunk isn't going to help you win tomorrow."

"Is that what you were doing?" Nicole asked with a grin. "Very crafty."

The girl whose name was apparently Loo shot her an embarrassed smile. "I'll be over there if you change your mind," she said, nodding at a group of her friends giggling nearby.

After she walked away, Nicole turned to Waverly. "I liked hearing you call me your captain. It demonstrates a lot of personal growth, Waverly. I'm very proud of you."

She expected her to scowl at her, but instead she flashed a smile that was probably sixty percent amusement, forty percent irritation. A definite improvement. "I hope you're planning to go to sleep soon," she said. "We have a big day tomorrow, and we all need to be at the top of our game."

"As long as you listen to me, we're going to kick squadron 4's ass."

An attendant glided over carrying a tray of brightly colored candy twists. "Thank you," Waverly said, taking a blue one. After letting her hand hover over the selection for about ten seconds, Nicole took five in assorted colors. As she took a bite of what turned out to be lavender chocolate, her monitor beeped.

_"High blood-sugar levels detected. For more information on optimal nutrition, say nutrition."_

"Dismiss," Nicole said under her breath before taking another bite. She had to hand it to these Purgatorians. They might be monumentally disconnected from reality, but they knew their desserts.

_"Most recent scans suggest fatigue. Based on your schedule for tomorrow, 8.25 hours of sleep recommended for optimal performance."_

"Dismiss," Nicole said again.

Waverly shot her a curious look as she lowered herself into one of the spindly wooden chairs that surrounded the small tables scattered around the room. "I just don't think you understand how important these battles are."

She sat down in the chair next to her. It was even less comfortable than it looked. "I'm pretty sure I get it. It's all anyone can talk about here." Once word had gotten out about her squadron's high practice scores, complete strangers started bombarding her with questions about their training techniques.

"It's all I've been thinking about for pretty much my whole life. Everything I've ever done, all the tutors and the training, it's all been in preparation for this." Waverly's voice grew quieter, and she looked away as she spoke. "Everyone's always seen me as the admirals second-rate daughter. I thought I could changer their minds if I made it to the Academy and won the tournament... as a captain."

The playful barbs that had been forming in Nicole's head turned to dust. Yes, she was a rich, spoiled Purgatorian who'd had it easy in some ways. But she certainly knew what it was like to have people doubt you, to let them convince you that you'd never amount to anything. "I suppose your mom expects a lot from you. It sounds like a ton of pressure." She said carefully.

"It can be," she said, turning back to Nicole with a questioning look, as if unsure whether she was luring her into a trap. "But I didn't just want to be captain to make my mother happy. I wanted it for myself. Squadron captains have the best shot at staying at the Academy for the second and third years, and entering the fleet as an officer. You get to matter." Waverly had the same intense expression Nicole recognized from the simulator, but this time there was a hint of something else. Longing.

She nodded. Nicole understood the fear of losing the future you'd imagined for yourself. For the first time in years, she'd been able to imagine a life beyond the despair that blanketed Titan. But that dream was quickly turning into a dead end.

"I get it," she said slowly. "This is important to me too. I'm not going to let anyone down."

"I'm glad to hear it," Waverly said, pressing her lips together to contain a smile.

"Here you are!" a boy with born hair said as he strode toward them, dressed in a suit that even Nicole could tell was expensive, though he wore it with careless ease.

"Champ," Waverly said as she stoop up. "What are you doing? I though you said you were going to bed."

Ignoring the question, Champ stepped forward and extended his arm. "Champ Hardy. Nice to meet you."

Nicole stood as well. "Natalie Haught." After a week, saying her sister's name had grown easier.

"Ah, the captain. Everyone is very curious to see how you all do tomorrow. Steph's placed the odds on your winning five to one."

"Really," Waverly brightened. "I bet by next week it's going to be ten to one."

Champ grinned and pulled Waverly toward him. "This one," he said affectionately, rubbing her arm. "She's so competitive. I love it. Though I can't say I like all this betting talk. It cheapens the tournament." He looked at Nicole expectantly, as if waiting for her to agree, but Nicole's thoughts were elsewhere.

 _Five to one,_ Nicole thought. A smile tugged on her lips as a plan took shape in her head. It was a crazy plan, sure, but it was acrazy plan that had gotten her into this predicament in the first place, and it was going to take an even crazier one to get her out of it.

"I'm going to bed," Nicole said abruptly. "Nice to meet you, Chump."

"It's Champ," Waverly corrected.

"Right, of course. See you tomorrow." She hurried away. ignoring their bewildered expressions.

The corridor was nearly deserted, though she did pas one couple making out in front of the common room and a girl humming to herself, staggering slightly as she walked barefoot holding her shoes.

Nicole scanned into her suite, nodded at her roommate, Brazil, who was slumped on the couch, and walked straight into her own room. It was about the same size as her bed back on Titan, but that's where the similarities ended. There was a wooden dresser and what even Nicole had to admit was a pretty cool desk with curved legs and silver handles on the drawers. She still couldn't fathom why anyone had thought it a good use of time and money to furnish a school in space with Purgatorian antiques, but she wasn't going to complain.

Without bothering to undress, Nicole fell back on the bed, sighing as she sank into the feather-soft, spotless white comforter. She'd never seen anything that clean on Titan, where everything from fingernails to food to socks always had a coating of red dust. It was easier to keep thing clean in space, Where there was no dirt and where robots did all the laundry.

At five-to-one odds, anyone who bet against Nicole's squadron tomorrow would make a killing.. if her squadron lost. And as captain, she was uniquely qualified to ensure that happened.

She pulled out her Academy-issued phone and entered the call code she'd memorized long ago.

"Who the hell is this?' a familiar voice barked a few moments later.

"Nedley. It's Nicole," she said, smiling as she imagined how Nedley would look if he knew where she was calling from.

"Nicole fucking Haught. You've got some nerve, kid. You drop off the face of the planet, and then you call in the middle of the night? Do you have any idea what time it is, shithead?"

"I don't, actually," Nicole said pleasantly. "I'm not on Titan at the moment."

"And what does encrypted number mean? I've never seen an encryption that works on my link. Are you in prison? You'd better be calling from prison, because otherwise I'm going to find you and kill you. Do you know how much money you've cost me in missed deliveries? Where do-"

"Listen, Nedley," Nicole said. "I'm not coming back to Titan." That part was true. She was either headed for a career in the Fleet, or she was going to spend the rest of her life rotting in a Ginusian prison. Either way, Nedley would have to find a new runner.

"then what the hell do you want?"

"I need a favor."

Nedley snorted. "You think I'm going to do you a favor after you screwed me over like this?"

"You will when I tell you ow much I'm going to pay you for it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tomorrow there will be another chapter. I was able to write 3 but they will be posted periodically to give me more time to write more.


	13. Wynonna

_This was a mistake,_ Wynonna thought, heart pounding as she scanned the ballroom. How had she let Rosita talk her into this? Attending the formal was a waste of precious time. The messages from Ghost River were becoming more anxious, and although she'd spent the past week recording the location of various stars, she needed more data before she could begin making her calculations. And then she still had to figure out a way to transmit the coordinates.

There was a command center in the Academy that linked up directly with the Fleet headquarters on one of Purgatory's two moons. If she could sneak inside and gain access to the system, she might be able to send an encrypted message to Ghost River. But the command center was protected by a variety of security features, and the only way to get inside was to impersonate a high-ranking instructor with the appropriate clearance. In the meantime, she was stuck in a room full of laughing, drinking, chattering cadets who'd kill her if they knew who she really was.

As Wynonna looked around, it was clear to her why these people ran through their own planets' resources so quickly and why they were so keen to pillage another's. Everywhere she looked were signs of the enemy's wasteful decadence. Food imported from the far ends of the solar system instead of freeze-dried nutrients. Drinks so full of sugar, they couldn't possibly be hydrating. And all of it under the light of an enormous glittering glass contraption that didn't even illuminate the room properly.

"Isn't it amazing?" Rosita asked as she looked around, awestruck. After finally convincing Wynonna to go to the party with her,she'd changer her outfit seven times before ending up in the first dress she tried on.

"It's dark."

"All the better for sneaking off with a certain squadmates." Rosita was convinced that Wynonna's squadron captain, Natalie, was the best looking girl at the Academy apart from their "uncomfortably attractive" counterintelligence instructor. "Is Natalie here? Can you introduce me?"

Wynonna surveyed the crowd. "I don't see her," she said, relieved that she wouldn't have to make any awkward introductions. Despite all her preparation and all the observations she'd made since arriving at the Academy, there always seemed to be some detail she got wrong during social interactions.

Rostia excused herself to go investigate the refreshments, promising to return quickly. But Wynonna didn't mind -she'd spent most of her life on her own. She looked around the crowded ballroom, watching clusters of cadets erupt in laughter, pairs engaged in earnest conversation, and a few instructors watching the proceedings with detached amusement. They all looked so happy -blissfully unaware that they were being trained to murder innocent Revenants.

"Having fun?"

Startled, she turned to see Doc standing next to her in his Fleet dress uniform -sharply creased trousers and a jacket with two rows of shiny buttons. He was smiling, but there was something in his eyes that suggested he never fully relaxed, that he was always on watch. "Yes, it's quite a party," Wynonna said. 

"I'm glad to hear it. you looked a little perplexed. Not that I blame you. When I was cadet, I always found these formals slightly bewildering." He paused. "I'm making it sound like I was here ages ago."

"Wen did you graduate?" Wynonna asked, wondering how long Doc had been a counterintelligence officer. Did he know about the attacks against Ghost River, or was that information kept secret within the upper ranks of the Fleet?

"Three years ago," he said. "Though I'm not suppose to talk about that. Admiral Gibson doesn't want my students to know how close in age we are."

That would make Doc twenty-two, just a year older than Wynonna actually was, though her false documents claimed she was seventeen. "Why did you find parties bewildering?" She knew it was foolish to extend the conversation longer than necessary, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"It just seemed strange to me, the idea of putting on fancy clothes to hang out with the same people we spend every waking hour with." He shook his head. "Clearly, I'm a big hit at parties." He seemed different outside the classroom. Slightly less assured. And there was a note of self-deprecation in his voice that, to her surprise, made her want to put him at ease.

"You have to be better than I am. I've never been to a party before."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Fool, she chastised herself. Why would she hint at her unusual upbringing in front of the counterintelligence expert? But to her relief, he seemed more amused than suspicious. "Well, you're making quite a debut. That's a very nice dress."

Before she cold respond, Rosita appeared at Wynonna's side clutching a plate of unusual-looking appetizers. "I should let you two enjoy the party," Doc said with a nod. "Have fun."

"Shut,he's good looking," Rosita said, blushing as she watched Doc walk away. "Do you want any of this?" She gestured to her plate.

Wynonna shook her head as she scanned the room. she hadn't recorded the stars' positions from this wing of the Academy and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. "Excuse me," she said. "I need to find the bathroom."

"Sure," Rosita said, looking slightly abashed at Wynonna's curtness.

"I'll try to find Natalie for you," Wynonna said with what she hoped was a warm smile.

Rosita smiled back and smoothed her skirt. "Sounds good."

Wynonna slipped into the chattering crowd and made her way toward the large window on the far side. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was looking, then activated the camera on her phone.

She checked again to confirm that no one was paying attention and a few quick photos, feeling the knot in her stomach loosen slightly. If she kept this up, she'd soon have enough data to start her analysis.

"Wynonna! You're here!!" Jeremy called as he bounded toward her. A wide smile stretched across his face, and despite the strange black marks on his shirt, his eyes were shining. Instead of his usual slouch, which always reminded Wynonna of a sea creature retreating into its shell, Jeremy moved with confidence and assurance. "You look beautiful," he said, his grin growing even wider.

She tried to tamp down the thrill of pleasure his words unlocked. She wouldn't let herself become one of them,, superficial, vain, materialistic. She refused to return to Ghost River tainted. Besides, beautiful wasn't even a word you use to describe other people. It should be reserved for the resilient trees that survived the long, hot Ghost River summer when the sea rose and covered nearly two-thirds of the land masses.

"Where did you get that?" Wynonna asked with curiosity, pointing out the pink drink in his hand.

"The attendants are going around with trays of drinks, and you can just take on! As may as you want! You don't have to pay for them or anything."

Wynonna cocked her hear. "How many of theses have you had exactly?"

"They don't have alcohol in them." He shook his head solemnly. "But.." He looked around again and whispered, "You can add Plum dust. I'll show you." He grabbed Wynonna's hand and started to tug her forward, sloshing some of his drink over the rim of the glass.

Wynonna pulled away. "I'm fine. I'll get one later." She needed to take a few more photos before she could return to her room to analyze the data. 

Before she could escape, a tall boy with fair skin an brown hair appeared at Jeremy's side. "There you are," he said, smiling at Jeremy with an expression that made her fee both happy and lonely at the same time.

"This is Robin," Jeremy said, gesturing to the brown-haired boy. "Robin this is Wynonna."

"Nice to meet you," Robin said. "Jeremy was just telling me about his genius intelligence officer. You must be excited for tomorrow."

Excited wasn't exactly the right word, since winning the tournament meant nothing to Wynonna. Yet she had to admit that they'd been performing well during their practice sessions. When Waverly and Natalie weren't wasting time with their pointless shows of dominance, the squadron was focused and efficient. Wynonna had never been part o a team before, and to her surprise, there'd been moments when she'd almost enjoyed it.

"we'd be lost without Wynonna," Jeremy said, beaming at her. "I've never seen anyone who can analyze information as quickly as she can."

"I think you deserve a little treat after all that hard work," Robin said. "Come with us."

Wynonna hesitated. She glanced toward the door, then looked away when she realized Doc was standing nearby. Would he find it strange she was leaving so early? She'd already revealed too much; she couldn't risk drawing any additional attention to herself. Unsure of what to do, she allowed Robin and Jeremy to lead her to the drinks table, where they procured for her lavender beverage that, at Jeremy's insistence, Robin topped off with clear liquid from a flask in his pocket.

The boys raised their glasses, so Wynonna did the same. "Unity and prosperity," Robin said.

"Unity and prosperity!" Jeremy echoed, clinking his glass against Robin's before doing the same to Wynonna's.

She took a tentative sip. The lavender liquid was sweet and frothy, but when she swallowed it, she tasted something pleasantly herbal. "This is nice," she said. Jeremy and Robin both laughed. "What? What did I say?"

"Nothing," Robin said with a smile. 'You sounded so surprised. Just don't drink it too quickly. And maybe have something to eat as well."

"Ooh, yes." Jeremy tugged on Robin's sleeve. "Let's get something to ear. But not octopods." he said gravely, turning to Wynonna. "You do not want to eat one of those."

She followed them through the crowd to a table laden with a variety of bite-size foods, none of which she recognized. "Just be careful," Jeremy whispered loudly. "Some of i attacks." 

She randomly selected a few items, then the three of them found a cluster of chairs and sat to eat, their plates balanced on their laps. "You know what makes Wynonna such a good intelligence officer?" Jeremy said thoughtfully as he nibbled on a piece of cheese. "She's so quiet. Like, you almost forget she'd there, and then BAM! She produces some piece of information that changes everything."

"I think I need to see this in action," Robin said.

"I suppose if I'm that good, you'll never see me in action," she said, smiling despite herself. She took another sip of her drink, enjoying the warmth spreading through her chest.

"You'll see it firsthand when we crush your squadron," Jeremy said.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't get your hopes up." 

As she listened to Jeremy and Robin's playful banter, she felt her anxiety about her mission drain away. Robin excused himself, and a shot while later, he returned holding a second lavender drink for Wynonna that she accepted without protest.

"So, Wynonna," Jeremy said confidentially as he inclined his head toward her. "Who should we invite to join us? Is there anyone you have your eye on?"

 _I have my eyes on all of you,_ Wynonna thought before realizing what Jeremy meant. "No, there's no one," she said despite the strange, unexpected image taking shape in her mind: Doc is his dress uniform.

"I'm not sure I believe you," Robin teased. "You're blushing."

"Who is it?" Jeremy asked, grabbing her hand. "Natalie? Champ?"

"No one," she repeated. Jeremy pouted and she smiled.

 _this is fun,_ she thought. She liked these boys even if they were her enemy. But a few seconds later, a wave of nausea crashed over her, and the dull ache that'd been forming near her temples began to spread throughout her head.

"Are you okay?" Jeremy asked, suddenly concerned instead of giggly.

"Yes, fine. I think I just need to go to bed." Wynonna rose to her feet, and to her confusion, she felt the room start to spin. "Oh no," She said as she staggered to one side.

"Easy there." Robin jumped to his feet to grab her arm, and then Jeremy took the other. "We'll walk you back."

"No, I'm okay." She tried to shrug herself loose but just ended up falling to the side again. It was like someone had suddenly changed the gravity settings, throwing off her equilibrium.

Jeremy whispered something to Robin and then took her hand. "Come on," he said, gently tugging her forward. "Everything's fine."

He led her through the crowded ballroom, now a dizzying swirl of color, laughter, and light. Another wave of nausea slammed into her, and her stomach started to cramp. "I think.. I think I ate something bad," she said hoarsely as Jeremy led her to the corridor.

"I think you just had a little too much to drink. Don't worry. Just drink a lot of water before you go to bed and you'll feel better in the morning. What floor is your room on again>"

When they reached her suite, she was relieved to find the living room empty. She didn't want Rosita, let alone their other suitemates, to see her looking so undignified. "Thank you," Wynonna said, grabbing onto the side of the couch to steady herself. "I'll be fine. You can go back to Robin."

"I'll go in a minute," Jeremy said. He instructed her to change and get into bed. Too tired and dizzy to object, she complied, and a few minutes later he came into her room holding a large glass of water.

"Drink this." Jeremy handed her the glass and then sat at the foot of her bed, looking around the room. "Not really one for decorating, are you?"

In contrast to Rosita's room, which was plastered with pics, clothing, and knicnkknacks, Wynonna's room had no personal items except for the two sets of clothes she'd brought with her from Ghost River. "No, not really."

"It's minimalist. I like it." But as Jeremy surveyed the room, his face fell slightly. "Didn't you bring anything to remind yourself of home?"

She shook her head, then winced as the pounding returned. "It's easier this way." But the truth was that she'd had nothing to bring. Her room in the military compound on Ghost River had been barer than this one.

Jeremy stared at her curiously for a moment, then smiled as he rose to his feet. "Sleep well, Wynonna. I'll see you tomorrow."

As she sipped the water, the nausea subsided slightly, and she felt a strange mixture of gratitude and confusion. "Why are you helping me?" she asked.

He cocked his head to the side, as if he didn't understand the question. "You're my squadmate. And my friend."

"Thank you," she said, then closed her eyes as the nausea returned, accompanied by something even worse. Guilt.


	14. Waverly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to start posting a new chapter everyday

Waverly woke up with excitement tingling in her stomach. Today was their first battle, and she couldn't wait to emerge victorious from the simulcraft. Her squadron had been receiving top scores during the practice sessions, but the only number that really counted was their rank at the end of the tournament.

Waverly walked quickly through the residential wing, smiling and nodding at people who waved or called to her, but she didn't stop to talk. It was time to focus and get into the zone with the rest of her squadron. But to her surprise and irritation, only Wynonna and Jeremy were inside the simulcraft when she arrived.

"Where's Natalie?" Waverly asked, forgetting pleasantries.

"I'm sure she's on her way." Jeremy glanced at the countdown clock on the screen. "We still have five minutes."

"Right..." Waverly started pacing back and forth. "Okay, I think there's a good chance it's going to be a rescue mission, so our strategy will be pretty simple,, we just need to be faster than the other squadron. That's good, because speed has never been an issue for us."

Jeremy nodded politely, although she could tell he was mostly humoring her. Wynonna was already seated in her chair, looking drawn and even more quiet than normal.

The door hissed open and Natalie entered. Her uniform was wrinkled and her pale skin looked paler than usual. "Are you okay?" Waverly asked, squinting at her slightly bleary eyes.

"I'm wonderful. So sweet of you to ask." She spoke slower than normal, and instead of bounding toward the captain's chair and doing some obnoxious spin, she trudged over and lowered herself gingerly.

"Are you ill?" Waverly asked, more accusingly than she'd meant.

Natalie rolled her shoulders a few times, then cracked her knuckles. "Never better. Just getting ready to kick some squadron 4 ass."

"Good," Waverly said, choosing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Natalie knew how important this first battle was. She'd rise to the occasion even if she was feeling under the weather. "Now remember, their captain is Ellie Davis. I used to see her in the simulcraft at my old school, and she's incredibly good at misdirection. So if this ends up being a combat mission, don't get complacent just because it looks like she's using standard attack formation. She always has another plan."

"Yeah, I know." Natalie said, wincing slightly. "You told me that about a dozen times this week."

"I also told you to get her on time, but that clearly didn't sink in."

"I am here on time." 

"Three minutes before the mission starts isn't on time." Waverly knew she wasn't helping matters, but she couldn't control the frustration bubbling inside her. They'd had a whole conversation last night about how much this meant to her. Why was she acting like none of it mattered?

She winced again. "Can you lower your voice, please?"

Waverly stared at hr as cold dread seeped down her spine. "Are you hungover!?"

Natalie spun her chair around so she was no longer facing her. "Maybe. So what? There was a party last night. That's what happens. You were also drinking."

Te dread was incinerated by flares of anger. Waverly yanked Natalie's chair around. "That is not what happens," she snapped, no longer caring what Jeremy and Wynonna thought about her. Natalie was sabotaging their futures as well. "I guarantee you that no one else competing today is hungover"

"Okay, Waverly, that's enough." Jeremy shot her an admonishing look. "We all stayed out too late last night. There's no need to attack Natalie."

"I'm not attacking her," she said, slightly taken aback by Jeremy's unusually cold expression.

"Yes, you were. But bullying her isn't going to make us perform any better, and it's definitely not going to make you captain, so just take it easy, okay?"

The words landed like a punch to her chest. "I'm not... I wasn't.." She searched for the right words to help Jeremy realize he was looking at everything all wrong. She was just trying o win. That's what everyone wanted; that's what would be best for all of them.

The lights dimmed, and a voice rang through the speakers. _"Your battle will commence in thirty seconds. Please take your places."_

With a sigh, Waverly lowered herself into her seat and tried to chase away the guilt gnawing at her. She didn't have time o worry about hurt feelings at the moments. All that mattered right now was winning.

She turned to the dashboard, allowing the glowing lights to soothe her. This was where she belonged even if she wasn't in the captain's chair.

_"Welcome, Squadron 4 and Squadron 20. Today's battle will be a rescue mission. You will be presented with identical scenarios and then race to see ho completes the operation first. Here is your task. A commercial shuttle was forced to make an emergency landing on Jasper, one of Ginus' moons, and it quickly running out of life support. Your objective: Depart from Titan, fly to Jasper, evacuate the survivors, and deliver them safely to Ginus. Your missions begin... now."_

"Right, a rescue mission, just like I told you," Waverly said, though she realized she was talking more to herself than the others. The screen filled with pink haze. "What the hell? Where are we?"

"Home sweet home," Natalie said drily. "Jeremy, what's Jasper's gravitational pull?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Waverly saw Jeremy swiping rapidly on the scree. "About seventy four percent of Purgatorian gravity."

"Wynonna, any complications?"

"There's a storm in Titan's mesosphere right above us. We have three options. We can wait for it to pass, we can try to fly around it, or we can fly right through it."

"What do you suggest?"

"We should fly around it. That way we'll minimize damage to the ship without wasting too much time."

"Let's go for it. Take it away, Waverly."

She was relieved to hear the firmness in her voice. At least she was feeling better. Waverly activated the thrusters, her heart pounding with a combination of excitement and nerves. She grinned as the ship soared through the thick pink air. To avoid the storm, she stayed in the stratosphere for longer than normal, flying at a slightly shallower angle. Once Wynonna gave her the all clear, she straightened out and increased her speed until the Titan atmosphere grew thin, eventually giving way to the thermosphere.

"What's Squadron 4 up to?" Natalie asked.

Wynonna leaned forward to examine the radar screen more closely. "They're about fifty thousand meters ahead of us."

"What?" Waverly jerked her head around to face Wynonna and Natalie. "How the hell did that happen?"

"They must've gone through the storm," Wynonna said with infuriating calm. "They probably sustained considerable damage."

"Shit." Waverly banged her hand against the dashboard. If they didn't catch up soon, they were screwed.

"Is there anything we can do to make up time?" Natalie asked.

"I'm doing my best," Waverly said tersely as she activated the backup thrusters. It was an enormous waste of fuel but worth the risk.

"It's highly risky," Wynonna said. "But we could try using Ginus's gravity well to gain speed heading toward Jasper."

"Like slingshot around it?" Natalie asked sounding curious.

"Absolutely not," Waverly said without turning around. Using a gravity assist was one of the most advanced piloting moves you could perform. Real fleet pilots spent years training on simulcrafts before they ever attempted it.

"I don't know..." Natalie said, fatigue creeping back into her voice. "It sounds like it might be worth trying."

"There's no trying," Waverly said, glaring at her over her shoulder. "If we mess up, which we will, instead of slingshotting around Ginus, we'll burn up in its atmosphere." She turned to Wynonna. "Can we catch up if we stick to our current trajectory?"

"If we land faster than they do retrieve the stranded passengers more quickly, the, yes, we have a chance."

"Good," Waverly said, feeling the excitement return. "Jeremy, will you conduct mineral analysis of Jasper's surface? We need to find somewhere soft to land."

"We're going the gravity assist," Natalie said.

"What?" Waverly whipped her head around again. "No way!"

"Waverly, that's an order." There was no playful challenge in her voice; she was serious.

"Why are you doing this? It's suicide." She looked from Wynonna to Jeremy, desperately hoping one of them would back her up, but they both avoided her eyes.

"It's not suicide. A good pilot could pull it off. Now, please proceed as instructed."

"This is bullshit," she muttered under her breath as she turned back to the screen. Natalie had no right being captain. She didn't know anything about flying, let alone leadership. She didn't care about wining. All she cared about was putting her in her place.

Jeremy read off her new coordinates, the ones that would, supposedly, allow her to approach Ginus at the perfect angle so they could use its gravitational pull to shoot around at a dizzying speed. "You can do this," Waverly whispered to herself as Ginus appeared in the distance.

The tricky part was getting close enough to the surface to feel the gravitational pull but not so close that they'd bounce off the atmosphere and turn into a giant fireball. At this speed, there was no margin for error.

The icy planet grew larger on the screen. "Okay," Waverly said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "Let's do this."

Jeremy had made a calculation based of their speed, Ginus's mass, and its gravitational pull. So far, he'd never made a math error, and Waverly was sure the trajectory he'd suggested was the right one. Now it was up to her to follow that path -to approach Ginus at just the right angle.

She took a deep breath to steady her trembling hands and initiated her approach. The simulcraft jerked, and they suddenly gained speed. "It's working," Waverly thought. "I'm actually doing it." There was a sharper jerk, and the simulcraft started to rumble. _"Warning. Temperatures reaching dangerous levels. Warning. Temperatures reaching dangerous levels."_

"I'm on it," Jeremy called. "Initiation emergency engine cooling." Out of the corner of her eye, Waverly say his hands fly across the screen. "Shoot," he muttered under his breath.

The screens on all sides suddenly filled with flames. 'No!" Waverly banged the dashboard again. "Shit, shit shit!"

The screens went dark. _"Mission failure. Your craft was incinerated in Ginus's atmosphere. There were no survivors."_

Waverly spin around and leapt out of her chair. "What they hell was that, Natalie? I told you that was going to happen."

"You're blaming this on me?" Natalie said with a sneer that made her face nearly unrecognizable. "You waltz in here thinking you can order us around because of course a Purgatorian knows more than some clueless settler, and then it turns out that you can barley fly." 

Her skin practically sizzled as a tide of fury rose within her. "Barely fly? I can pull off maneuvers you've never seen before."

"Yeah, but not when it counts. When the pressure was on, you chocked."

"Okay, that's enough," Jeremy said, glaring at Natalie. "We all did our best. That's what matters."

"No, it's not," Waverly said, beginning to tremble. "What counts is winning." 

Without another word, she moved unsteadily toward the door. With each step, her rage drained away, leaving something far worse in its wake,, the horrifying realization that Natalie was right. Yes she'd made a stupid decision, but ultimately, she'd been the one who choked. Once again, when it really mattered, she'd let herself down.


	15. Nicole

Steph had told Nicole to come to the library at 13:35 to collect her winnings. She hadn't been to the library yet, and she ended up taking a few wrong turns before finding herself in a wide, quiet corridor. It had to be one of the exterior rings of the Academy since a panoramic window ran along on e of the walls, which revealed clusters o stars and the craggy edges of a passing asteroid. Even for Nicole, who had grown up on a perpetually cloud shrouded planet, it was a little disorienting to see the stars during what his body was believed was daytime.

The library, when she finally found it, wan unlike anything she had seen before. For Nicole, the word conjured an image of a cramped, windowless room in the Sector town hall where a rusted attendant would look up information for you. Yet this room was full of books. Thousands of them. Looking around, Nicole was filled with enough wonder to momentarily push aside the guilt that had been festering in her stomach all day. But she knew the reprieve wouldn't last long. Every time she though about that anguish in Waverly's face, a new cloud of sham engulfed her.

She stepped toward the closest bookcase, which stretched from floor to ceiling, and let her hand hover above one of the spins. It was embossed with gold letter in a language Nicole didn't recognize,

"You're allowed to touch them, you know." Nicole let her hand fall to the side and spun around. Steph, the Purgatory girl who'd organized the betting ring, was sitting in a leather armchair, surveying her with amusement. She was wearing glittery gold makeup that reminded Nicole of the gilded book she'd been looking at, and her blond curls were styled in a way that was possible only with time, money, and lots of showers.

"I know," Nicole said, yanking the book off the shelf. She pretended to flip through it causally, unwilling to reveal the thrill it gave her.

"Do you read Latin?"

"What?"

She nodded at the book in her hands. "That's written in Latin. Mine's not very good. I studied it for only a few years."

Nicole replaced the book on the shelf. "That's a shame," she said. "Latin is a beautiful language." She hoped it was true.

Steph rose gracefully from her chair and stretched her arms over her head. Something about the movement suggested that it was more for Nicole's benefit that her sore muscles. She'd already changed out of her uniform for dinner, and her short black dress rose up her thighs when she lifted her arms.

Nicole watched impassively. She'd known lots of girls like her, and giving the attention they craved never ended well. She caught Steph searching for a glimpse of admiration is her face, and when she didn't find it, her expression hardened slightly.

"You did a great job this morning," Steph said. "Waverly totally believed you were too hungover to focus. You're quite the actor."

"Thanks," she said, wincing slightly. Betting against her own squadron had earned her a huge amount of money, just enough to pay Nedley to hack into the medical clinic on Titan and swap Nicole's files for her sister's before they were resent to the Academy. It was the only way to avoid expulsion and an arrest for treason. But that didn't make the memory of Waverly's anguished expression any easier to bear.

"Let's see.. How much did you win? Four hundred killions?" She opened a dainty gold purse and began riffling through it. "I don;t have that much on me. Can I just transfer it to your account? What's your ID number?"

 _Four hundred killions._ It was more than she'd ever possessed in her entire life. "I don't know it offhand." She had a vague recollection of her dad opening a commerce account for her when she was a kid, but that was the last she'd heard of it.

"You don't know it?" Steph repeated, incredulous. "How is that possible? How do you get through the day?"

"I don't o a ton of shopping." Nicole said drily.

Steph's eyes widened. "No, of course you don't." The faux sympathy in her cloyinig voice roiled her stomach.

She took a deep breath, unwilling to get worked up in front of Steph. "I'll get you an account number for the transfer. But in the meantime, can you do me a favor and keep this arrangement to yourself?" She tried to keep her voice light, as the more desperate she seemed to Steph, the more likely she was to use this information against her.

"Your secret's safe with me," she said sweetly. She turned and sauntered away in a manner that made it clear she hoped Nicole was watching. Ignoring her, Nicole searched the library for the most secluded corner she could fine, then called Nedley on her phone.

"You have the money?" 

"It's nice to hear your voice as well, Nedley. I'm doing great. Thanks so much for asking." Nicole sank into an armchair and stretched out her legs.

"I don't have time for this, Haught."

"Relax, I have your money. Just give me an account number, and I'll transfer it today."

Nedley made a sound somewhere between a snicker and a grunt. "You writing this down?"

"Absolutely. Go ahead." Nicole smiled, relishing the fact that Nedley no longer had the power to chew her out for using her brain instead of a pen. "You'll let me when you've uploaded the new data?"

"As soon as the money comes through. Though I gotta tell you, kid, this sounds real suspicious even to me. Where the hell are you?" 

"Gotta go, Nedley. Thanks for everything." Nicole ended the call, then twisted around so her legs were hanging over the side of the armchair. She'd done it. Nedley would replace Natalie's medical records with her own, and then everything would be fine. The knot of anxiety growing in her stomach for the past week finally began to loosen, and she let out a long sigh. She was going o get to stay at the Academy. Hell, she'd probably even graduate.

She just wished she could forget the look on Waverly's face when she let her down.


	16. Jeremy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gave you guys two chapters today. I've got the week off from school so i'll have more to come this week.

"How's it going, 223?"

His sergeant had just dismissed their engineering class, and Jeremy was gathering his things when he looked up and saw Robin smiling at him.

It's been three days since the formal, which had turned out to be one of the best nights of Jeremy's life. After putting Wynonna to bed, he'd returned to the ballroom where he and Robin had flirted all night. Jeremy had lost track of the number of times Robin had touched his arm or brushed his knee against Jeremy's leg. He'd bee so sure that Robin would kiss him at some point that after Robin had said a friendly good night and walked away it had taken hours for the ache in Jeremy's chest to fade away. Jeremy know that, technically, he could've kissed Robin, but the thought of making the first move left him more nauseated than the shuttle ride had. He couldn't risk the pain and shame of rejection... not again.

"Not too bad," Jeremy said, doing his best to sound friendly but not overly invested.

"Listen," Robin said, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Are you free after dinner? I've thought of the best way to prank Steph."

Jeremy couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face. "I think I'm free," Jeremy said vaguely. "Who else is coming?"

"I think tonight's a job for you and me. Sound good?"

 _You and me._ "Sounds good."

"Cadet Chetri," a voice called over the clamor of footsteps and chatter. Jeremy turned to see Sergeant Pond nodding at him. "Drop by my office before dinner. I want to talk to you."

Jeremy nodded. "Yes, sir," he said, doing his best to sound nonchalant despite the tendril of anxiety twisting around his stomach. Had Pond noticed that Jeremy hadn't been paying attention in class?

Pond dismissed him, and Jeremy and Robin walked out of the classroom together. "What was that about?" Robin asked.

Jeremy shrugged, trying to keep the anxiety at bay. "No idea."

Robin nudged Jeremy's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about it, 223."

Jeremy smiled, marveling at how the simple act of walking from one class to another could suddenly become the best part of the day.

* * *

A few hours later, Jeremy was in the administration wing, searching for Pond's office. His anxiety had only worsened over the course of the afternoon as he tried to figure out why he'd been summoned. "Where is Sergeant Pond's office?" he whispered to his monitor.

 _"Sergeant Pond is your engineering instructor. If you need assistance with an engineering assignment, a research attendant will be glad to assist you. For directions to the library, say_ Library."

"I need to find is office," Jeremy said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. The last thing he needed right now was for a faculty member to catch him sniping at his monitor.

_"Continue down the corridor for approximately six centimetres... you've arrived at your destination."_

Jeremy paused in front of Pond's door to collect himself, then took a deep breath and knocked. "Come in!" a voice bellowed. The door opened with a hiss, and Jeremy stepped inside. The office was smaller than the classrooms but full of so many intriguing items that he didn't know where to look first. On the far wall was a holopic of a slightly younger Pond standing next to the president of the Fleet Federation. Next to Jeremy was a series of topographical maps, including one of the D'Arcy mountain range on Ginus. But the most striking of all was the enormous piece of machinery suspended from the ceiling, part of a fightercraft made out of black metal Jeremy had never seen before. As he took in more details, his curiosity gave way to unease, and grim memories crawled out from the back of his brain. Two years ago, the news memos had been full of these pics -- and insect-like swarm of them had darkened the sky before the devastating attack on Hansgard. It was how the Revenants had managed to kill so many Ginusians in such a short amount of time.

"I assume you know what that is," Pond said gruffly, rising from his desk.

"It's a piece of a Revenant ship," Jeremy said. Without meaning to, he'd lowered his voice, as if afraid to disturb anything hidden withing the craft. Even though Jeremy knew full well that there was nothing inside, he couldn't quite shake the prickle of fear on the back of his neck.

"I've been told it's useless," Pond said almost fondly. "That's why I was allowed to take it with me."

"What do you mean, useless?" Jeremy asked, looking up at the ship fragment.

"Anytime we recover a piece of Revenant technology, no matter how many similar samples we've seen, we always send it to the counterintelligence lab for analysis. You never know what you might learn about the bastards from a seemingly innocuous piece of equipment. After the most recent attack, we found an undetonated bomb that turned out to be a treasure trove. It was covered in fragments of Revenant DNA. That's classified information, of course, but now that you're a Fleet cadet, you have the security clearance for it."

 _Security clearance._ The words made Jeremy's chest well with pride. He couldn't wait to tell his mother. Not what he'd learned, of course. But even the fact that there were things he couldn't tell her would make her joyously happy. He imagined her at the graduation ceremony on Purgatory. How she'd beam when she saw Jeremy in his uniform, perhaps onstage receiving a prestigious award.

"Take a seat, Jeremy." Pond gestured at a chair, then returned to his own behind his desk. "I wanted to see how you were doing. I know it hasn't been an easy transition for the Settlers." He didn't sound nearly as gruff as usual; in fact, there was a hint of concern in his voice.

"I'm doing okay," Jeremy said.

"Good, good. I'm glad to hear it. And, red assured, hateful behavior will never be tolerated at the Academy." There was a long pause, and Jeremy shifted uncomfortably, wondering what Pond was waiting for him to say. Finally, Pond cleared his throat and continued. "I've noticed you spend quite a bit of time with Cadet Jett."

Jeremy sat up straight and tried to hide his confusion as his brain raced to figure out why this could possibly matter to Pond.

"I think you should be careful around him. I assume you know who is father is."

For a moment, Jeremy was too startled to speak. "I do," he said carefully, wishing he knew what Pond was getting at. "But I don't see what that has to do with out.. friendship."

Pond sighed, then offered Jeremy what he probably believed was a supportive smile. "Forgive me, but I find it difficult to believe that General Jett's son would be friends with a Ginusian."

"He's not his father," Jeremy said more sharply than he'd intended.

"Listen," Pond said, raising both hands in the air in a gesture of surrender. "I like the Jett boy and would be delighted if it turns out that you're right. But in the meantime, I think you should be careful. get to knew some of the other cadets so if things go badly with him, you don't feel like you're on your own."

"Why would things go badly?" The moment he words left his mouth, Jeremy's entire body tensed. Like he'd just thrown a bad punch and was bracing for the impact of a more capable opponent's fits. He'd never spoken to a teacher this way before.

Pond seemed unperturbed by Jeremy's tone. "These things are more complicated than I think you realize. Just take care of yourself, Chetri. That's all I'm asking."

"I'll take that into consideration, sit. Is that all?"

"That's all."

Jeremy rose from his chair and strode out, using all his self-control to restrain his bubbling anger. Pond had no right to interfere in Jeremy's personal life like this. Did he think Jeremy was too much of a Ginusian rube to understand what was going on? He knew who Robin's father was, and after a lot of thought and consideration, he'd made a conscious decision to get to know Robin the person, not Robin the estranged son of Mr. Jett.

_"Elevated heart rate detected."_

"Yeah, I know," Jeremy huffed. Why did every single thing in the Academy, sentient or otherwise, act like he couldn't take care of himself?

 _"New message from Robin Jett..._ Hey, it's me... Robin. Just wanted to see how your meeting with Pond went. Call me, or I'll just see you at dinner."

Jeremy grinned as the sound of Robin's voice chased away all the frustration welling up in his chest. Robin was the first boy who'd ever seen Jeremy as anything more than a shy, awkward, forgettable nobody. The first boy who found Jeremy's intelligence attractive, -who made Jeremy feel attractive. He wasn't going to let anyone sabotage that.


	17. Wynonna

Wynonna's heart began to pound as she made her way toward the administrative wing. This was the moment she'd been training for. She'd finally collected enough celestial data to determine the Academy's secret location in the asteroid belt between Purgatory and Panama. All she had to do now was transmit the coordinates to Ghost River, but that was easier said than done.

She peered around the corner. Down the hall was an unmarked door that led to the command center, and as expected, security guards were patrolling outside.

A moment later, the timed alarm Wynonna had programmed down the hall began blaring. The guards rushed toward the sound, and Wynonna made her way to the command center. The guards would soon realize there was no emergency, so she had no time to waste. She cam to a stop in front of the door and pulled out the ID she'd "borrowed" from Captain Russo. Her biological engineering professor was on e of the few people who had security clearance for the command center. She held the ID up to the scanner and let out a long breath as the light turned green and the door hissed open.

She crept forward and found herself in a dark, round room that reminded her of the simulcraft, it was crammed with monitors and blinking lights, except that the large window was full of real twinkling stars, not simulated ones. In the center o the room was the command console.

After a few minutes of fiddling with the unfamiliar system, she prepared to send an encrypted message with the station's coordinates to the military base on Ghost River. She felt a rush or excitement, and for a moment, she couldn't do more than grin as she pictured General Dolls receiving the transmission, her commanding officer's smile flickering across his normally stern face.

Yet before she could hit send, could dread began to spread through her veins. She thought about Rosita, asleep in their suite, who had been nothing but kind to her since she arrived at the Academy. She thought about Jeremy and the way he had taken care of her after the formal. Did these people really deserve to die?

 _Stop it,_ Wynonna told herself. It wasn't up to her who lived and who died. These people had sealed their fate long ago when their leaders decided to attack Ghost River. Millions of people were counting on her. She didn't have a choice.

Wynonna pressed send, then held her breath until the words _Transmission successful_ flashed across the screen. She closed her eyes and fell back against the wall with a sigh. All she had to do now was keep her identity a secret until the Revenant ships arrived at the Academy, one of which would extract Wynonna before the attack.

She hurried out of the command center, turned the corner, and froze. There were two people striding toward her. _Just stay calm,_ she told herself. _There's no rule against going for a walk in the middle of the night._

But as the echo of stomping footsteps grew louder, her heart began to pound a desperate alarm. Two guards, a shot, stocky man and a tall, grim-faced woman, were marching down the corridor in Fleet uniforms. _They know._ Wynonna took a deep breath and tried to quell the panic rising within her. _You've already completed your mission. It doesn't matter if you don't make it home. There's nothing they can do to change that. If you die, you'll die a hero._

"Is everything okay?" the female guard asked gruffly.

"Fine," Wynonna said, proud that her voice didn't quaver despite her racing pulse. "I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk."

"You're not authorized to be in this area," the man said. 

"I got a little lost. I'm sorry," Wynonna said, doing her best to sound like a helpless and confused first year cadet instead of a highly trained operative who'd been poring over maps o the Academy since her arrival.

The man pressed something on his phone, then frowned as he listened to an update Wynonna couldn't hear. "You're not wearing your monitor."

"I always take if of when I go to bed." Her chest tightened as she reviewed every step she'd taken that night, praying that she hadn't left any clues behind. If she was caught, there'd be no trial, no opportunity to plead for her life. The Fleet couldn't let anyone know that a Revenant had infiltrated the Academy. They'd execute her in secret and destroy the evidence. It would be like she had never existed.

The two guards exchanged glances. "What's your name?" the female guard asked.

"What's going on here?" a deep voice called. Wynonna turned to see Doc walking up behind her.

He was wearing a T-shirt with loose trousers that hung on his hips, revealing a sliver of a toned stomach, and his hair was sloppy and damp.

The male guard glanced at Doc. "Everything's under control. Please keep moving," he said, clearly mistaking him for a cadet.

Doc fixed the guard with an unreadable stare, and the man shrank back slightly. "I'm an instructor here, and I' like to know what you're doing with my student." He appeared calm, but there was a note of steeliness in his voice that made Wynonna want to lean away.

"She was wandering around a restricted area in the middle of the night. We just need to ask her a few questions," the woman said.

 _This is it,_ Wynonna though. She glanced at Doc, expecting to see his face harden with suspicion as he surveyed Wynonna. But to her surprise, he simply folded his arms across his chest, revealing sinewy arm muscles she hadn't noticed before. "I'll handle it. You can continue with your patrols."

Recognition seemed to dawn on the woman's face, and she shot her partner a warning look before turning back to Doc. "Sorry, we didn't recognize you," she said as the man glared at him. "Apologies, "Lieutenant Holiday."

The male guard started at the of Doc's name, and Wynonna remembered what the boy in her counterintelligence class had said. _I heard he's kind of terrifying._ She didn't normally find Doc intimidating but right now, she was grateful that his icy stare wasn't directed at her.

The guards saluted and continued down the corridor. Wynonna sighed inwardly, though she did her best to hide her relief. "Sorry about that I.. I couldn't sleep." She tried to keep her voice light, but it was hard to imagine that someone couldn't sense the guilt rolling off her, chilling the air like mist.

"You're no in trouble," he said, his voice much softer than it'd been with the guards. "Are you all right? Here, sit down." He gestured toward a bench against the wall and motioned for her to join him as he took a seat.

"I just didn't expect the guards to be so intense," Wynonna said. That was another lie. If Revenant guards had caught an unauthorized person in a redistricted zone, the intruder would be shot on sight.

"Don't worry about them. If they bother you again, just let me know and I'll handle it."

She nodded again and swallowed. She wished her problem-her guild over transmitting the Academy's coordinates-was something he could solve with the same brusque confidence he'd used to dismiss the guards.

"What's wrong?" he said softly. He hesitated a moment, then placed his hand on her arm. She stiffened at the unfamiliar sensation, and he withdrew it immediately. But the sympathetic expression on his face didn't change.

"I'm just a little homesick," Wynonna said, hoping that would be enough to throw him off the scent.

"You're from Panama, right?" You must miss the ocean?"

Wynonna thought of the flooded forest where she'd gone or a conditioning swim every morning during the summers, inhaling the scent of salt and pine as she ran her hand along the tree trucks embedded with seashells. 

Wynonna nodded, grateful that she was telling a partial truth. "I love to swim," She missed the way the water cradled her body, making her feel weightless and cocooned at the same time.

"Me too. Have you seen the ocean tank? It's full of alt water so you can float on your back and stare up at the stars. It's the only time you can forget you're in space."

"I haven't seen it. Are students allowed?" She'd love to dive in right now, letting the water wash away her guilt and worry.

"Only during officially monitored training sessions. But if you just happen to show up one evening while I'm there, I promise to turn a blind eye. I have a soft spot for Panamaians. I served with a number of them during my last tour."

"Do you miss being in the field?" she asked, recalling what he classmate had said about Doc giving up a promising career to teach.

"I do," he said with a hint of a smile, as if amused by the question. "I like teaching, but counterintelligence can be tough. Not everyone's mind works that way." His smile grew. "Yours seems to, though. Your papers demonstrate a remarkable ability to put yourself in the enemy's head."

Her heart began to pound a frantic alarm, warning her to change the subject, but she ignored it. "Why do you think they're attacking us?" she asked. She had to find out how much Doc knew. Did he truly believe that the Revenants had attacked first, or was he knowingly teaching lies?

"We can't know for sure, but I think the dominant theory makes sense- that they've run through the resources on their volatile planet and are looking to pillage ours." His tone was light, but there was the faintest shadow of fear in his eyes. 

_He doesn't know._ Wynonna thought. _Or is her just perpetuating that lie?_

"So why'd you retire from active duty? It sounds like the fleet needs you more than ever," Wynonna said.

"I didn't officially retire. I'm just taking a leave of absence. The war against the Revenants is going to hinge on intelligence as much as it does on weapons and strategy, and I want to make sure the next generation of intelligence officers has the best training possible." She appreciated his candor. There was no boasting or any false modesty. He knew he was talented, but instead of looking for accolades, he decided to focus his efforts on where he could do the most god. "Do you think that's foolish?" he asked.

"No, I think it's noble. What you want isn't important as what others need." Wynonna had learned this the hard way, but she was nonetheless grateful for it.

Doc surveyed her curiously for a long moment before he spoke. "I agree," he said quietly. There was another stretch of silence, but there was nothing awkward about it. It was comforting to know that someone here saw things the same way she did, even if they were on drastically different paths.

Doc yawned, and he stretched his arms over his head. "I'd better go to bed," he said, then patted her knee. This time, she didn't pull away and instead felt herself relax under the comforting weight. "Will you be okay?"

"Yes, fine," she said, feeling a strange flicker of warmth in her chest. There was something in Doc's expression that hadn't been in Jeremy's face that night when he'd helped her back to her room. Something beyond concern or tenderness.

"Good," He stood and then reached for her hand. Without thinking, she allowed him to help her to her feet, shuddering slightly as the warmth of his hand spread through her body. He released her hand, and as they walked down the hall, her skin didn't stop tingling.


	18. Waverly

_I can’t do this anymore._ The words thudded against her skull like a frantic, trapped bird. _I can’t do this._ Dread and panic congealed in her body, weighing her down until she couldn’t move. She stood frozen in the middle of the hallway about five doors away from the simulcraft where her squadron was gathering for their second battle. Today they were going up against Steph’s squadron, and Waverly couldn’t stomach the prospect of facing her after a loss.

Ever since their first battle, when she’d screwed up the gravity assist, she’d been choking, making foolish, amateur mistakes in every practice session. She’d bungled what should’ve been a simple landing by coming in at the wrong angle. The next day, she hadn’t executed a basic evasive maneuver quickly enough, allowing the enemy to blow up their ship about four minutes into the exercise.

There was only one horrifying explanation fir it: She didn’t have what it took to win.

If her squadron lost again, it was all over for her. Her mother had made it very clear —if her squadron didn’t perform extremely well in the tournament, it would be nearly impossible for Waverly to stay at the Academy.

She heard voices echoing down the hall behind her and recognizing Steph’s tinkling laugh. Waverly’s breath caught in her chest, her heart lurched into a panicked sprint. _I can’t breath,_ she thought. She tried to inhale, but something was blocking her airways. She tried again, but no oxygen reached her lungs.

The voices behind her were growing louder. _I can’t let them see me like this,_ she thought as the world started spinning. Gasping, she managed to stagger into the girls’ bathroom and leaned back against the wall, letting out a long sigh as the silence engulfed her like an embrace. 

Her heart rate had slowed slightly, but her skins still felt prickly and hot. She took another deep breath, walked over to one of the sinks along the wall, and placed her hands under the faucet. The sensor noted her elevated heart body temperature and adjusted accordingly, sending cool water out of the tap that Waverly splashed on her face gratefully. But as the panic subsided, it was replaced by a dread that reached so deeply into her bones, the sensor would never detect it. And there was no water in the solar system hot enough to scour it away.

She glanced at the clock. Four minutes until the battle began. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t go in there. Better her squadron lose because they didn’t have a pilot than because she was deadweight.  
The mirror reflected a face she barley knew. Red eyes, grayish skin, and a fearful expression. Even if she skipped the mission, she couldn’t go back to the hall looking like this. She patted her pockets, hoping she’d left her complexion glaze in her uniform. Waverly rarely wore makeup at school, but she couldn’t face her classmates looking this weary, this defeated. She shoved her hand deeper into her pocket, and her fingers brushed against something small and hard. It was the pill Perry had given her. The plum dust.

She closed here eyes, imagining what it would feel like to have the drug coursing through her veins, sweeping away all the doubt and anxiety. Her fingers tingled as she thought about grasping the controls, her brain and her muscles once again moving in sync as she piloted their craft to victory. She pictured herself walking down the hall with her head high, having proved once and for all that she deserved to be here. 

_It’s not like I have anything to lose,_ she thought, bringing the pill to her lips. All the things she’d heard about plum dust, all the terrifying side effects, they couldn’t be any worse than this —then constant panic, feeling like she was fading away.

”What the hell are you doing!?”

She spun around and saw Natalie, hardly recognizable without her smug, cocky grin. She stared at her in confusion for a moment before her eyes landed in the pill, and her face hardened into anger. “Drop it,” she ordered.

A flare of indignation rose within her. He might’ve beat her out for captain, but that didn’t mean he got to tell her what to do when they weren’t in the simulcraft. “What are you doing here?”

”We were worried about you. Our battle starts in less than five minutes. Wynonna and Jermey sent me to find you. They saw you duck in here.”

”They sent you. To get me from the girls’ bathroom,” Waverly said disbelievingly as they walked toward the door. “Why didn’t Wynonna come?”

”They knew I was the only one who could handle you.”

”Handle me?” She wasn’t not someone to be handled, especially not by a cocky kid from Titan. She lifted her hand to her lips and opened her mouth, wondering what she craved more —the rush of the chemicals entering her system or the satisfaction of her socked expression.

”Don’t be ridiculous.” She closed the distance between them with a few steps and grabbed her wrist.

”Let go of me,” Waverly said wrenching away.

She held her arm gently but firmly. “Not until you give me whatever’s in your hand.”

Something deflated inside her, and she suddenly felt nothing but overwhelming fatigue. “Fine,” she said, opening her fist. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not like it would’ve made a difference.”

Natalie plucked the pill from her palm and examined it. “Plum dust? Seriously? Waverly? What were you thinking?” Her voice had lost its accusatory edge.

”I... I can’t do it.” She couldn’t believe she was saying this aloud, and to Natalie of all people. Until two minutes ago, she would’ve rather stripped naked in front of the whole Academy than admit failure.

”Do what?”

”Fly, Compete. All of it.” Waverly shoot her heard. “You’re all better off without me. I chocked during the gravity assist, and it’s only gotten worse. You were right. I did waltz in here thinking I knew more than the rest of you. But I was all talk. I don’t have what it takes.0

Natalie winced slightly as a look of pain flashed across her face. “I’ve never should’ve said that. I’m sorry.”

”But it’s true.”

”No it’s not,” Natalie said, sounding more earnest than she would’ve thought possible. “I only said that because I was mad at myself. I made the wrong call. It was my fault, not yours.” She took a deep breath, and the familiar mischievous flint returned to her eyes. “The truth is —and I can’t believe I’m saying this— that you on an off day are still about ten times more impressive than most people on their best days. Flying with you is like watching some evil genius at work. Your strategy, your focus, your ability to stay four steps ahead of your competition— it’s impressive, and if I’m being honest, kind of terrifying.”

Despite herself, Waverly smiled. “You don’t look terrified.” 

“You know what really scared me? Seeing you with that pill. You don’t know what that stuff can do to you. You don’t know how many lives I’ve seen ruined— lives with a hell of a lot less potential than yours.” She shook her head solemnly. “Now can we please go? Wynonna and Jeremy will kill me if I don’t bring you back in time.”

Waverly raised an eyebrow and shot her a withering look.

”See? Terrifying. Now come one. Can’t have you wasting all your evil genius energy before the mission even begins.” She placed her hand on her arm and guided her out. To her surprise, she waited a full five seconds before stuffing it off.


	19. Nicole

Nicole bounded down the hall, buoyed by a giddy high unlike anything she'd felt before. She still couldn't believe they'd actually won. She and Waverly had slid into their seats just as _Commence mission_ flashed across the screen, and from that moment, it was like watching a different girl. Or, rather, like watching the girl who'd impressed her during their first practice session. Her flying was daring and assured, and whenever she glanced over at Waverly, her eyes glittered with fierce determination.

She felt lighter than she had in weeks. She'd transferred the money to Nedley's account, and the next day, Nedley had confirmed that he'd swapped out Natalie's medical records with Nicole's before the files were sent to the Academy. Everything was going to be okay. For the first time, she allowed herself to imagine a future for herself here. Captain of a winning squadron. If they kept it up, she'd be able to join the Fleet as an officer. The first in Titan history.

To celebrate their first win. Admiral Gibson had invited the four o them to dinner that night. A formal dinner in her private dining room. Nicole had planned to just wear her uniform, as that was all she had apart from a few ratty T-shirts and one pair of frayed pants. But when Jeremy heard that plan, h suggested that Nicole borrow something from Robin since she preferred suits rather than dresses. So now here she was, heading to dinner with an admiral of the Fleet wearing Jeremy's boyfriend's suit. She'd expected to feel like an idiot in it, or worse, a fraud. But when she'd turned to the mirror for a final check, she'd been pleasantly surprised. She looked like a promising cadet, like someone who deserved to have dinner with the Admiral.

Not so promising, however, that she'd didn't get lost on the way there. Nicole made the mistake of assuming that the admiral's dining room was near her office when, in fact, it turned out to be in an entirely different wing of the Academy. "I said Admiral Gibson's dinning room," Nicole muttered to her monitor.

_"Students are not permitted in the private dinning room. For directions to the student dining_ _hall, say dining hall"_

"Dismiss," Nicole said with a sigh. By the time she reached the entrance, slightly sweaty and out of breath, she was ten minutes late. Luckily, there were only two people waiting in the wood-paneled room, Wynonna and Jeremy.

"Squadron 20 is looking spiffy tonight," Nicole said as she walked toward them, grinning. Like Nicole, Jeremy was wearing a dark suit, and Wynonna was wearing a red dress that made her eyes pop. "Where's Waverly? She hasn't been taunting Steph for the past eight hours, has she?

"I'm not sure, but you won't find me stopping her." Jeremy grinned. "Everyone did great work today. Well done, captain."

Nicole made a show of shrugging off the compliment, but inwardly, she was proud of her performance in the simulcraft too. She was learning when to make snap decisions and when to defer to the others, when to push them to work even harder and when to tell them to take it easy.

Nicole looked around the room, taking in the ornately carved furniture, gem-colored glass lamp, and old fashioned maps of the solar system. Everything about it felt over the top and ridiculous; yet, as she accepted a drink from a passing attendant and then took another savory smelling appetizer from another, she had to admit that she'd take the fussiest room in the Academy over Titan any day.

The door slid open, and Nicole straightened out her jacket; this was her chance to make a good impression on the admiral. But instead of Admiral Gibson, Waverly walked in alone. She wore a long, shimmery dark blue dress, the color she'd always imagined the night sky to be on planets where you could actually see the stars . The fabric clung to her, muscular body, emphasizing curves normally hidden by her uniform. Not that that usually made a difference for Nicole. When you grew up on a planet where you couldn't go outside without jumpsuits, you got pretty good at identifying hot girls in shapeless clothes. But there was something about Waverly. When she was in the simulcraft, eyes blazing, hands moving lightning fast over the controls, you forget to check out her other assets.

Nicole grabbed another glass from the attendant's tray and carried it over to Waverly. "How are you feeling?" she asked,handing her the drink.

"Better. Good." She nodded. "Really good, actually." Se glanced at the couch where Jeremy and Wynonna were talking and lowered her voice. "Thank you for your help earlier. I don't know what I was thinking back there."

"Don't worry about it. We all psych ourselves out sometimes. Though, I have to say, it was much more fun watching you psych Steph out." Today's battle had been a combat mission, and the objective had been to destroy the enemy's base while still guarding your own. Waverly kept luring Steph into traps by initiating what looked like standard attack patterns, then switching gears at the last moment. But the best part was that she seemed to be reading her mind as well. Whenever Nicole started to give what she believed to be brilliant, inspired command, she realized Waverly was already executing it. Everywhere she turned, there she was, two steps ahead of her. For Nicole, outsmarting everyone around her had been a matter or survival, and luckily, she hadn't met many people who could keep up. It was strangely satisfying, if slightly irritating, to feel someone so connected to her thoughts. Like dancing -if your partner were armed with with explosives.

She braced for a barb, expecting her to say that psyching her out was even more fun. But to her surprise, Waverly was smiling. A real smile that she hadn't seen before.

 _I want her to look at me like that all the time,_ Nicole thought, startling herself with the unexpected notion. She'd never had much time for girls, but the ones she'd hung around with back on Titan had always been laid-back types, easygoing girls who wouldn't demand any more energy or attention than she could afford to give. Yet while Waverly was the opposite of easygoing, her intensity didn't feel draining. There was something electric about her that made everything more exciting.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting." Nicole spun around to see Admiral Gibson gliding into the room in a gauzy black dress that somehow made her look even more intimidating than usual. "Thank you all so much for joining me tonight. And congratulations on your big win!"

Nicole glanced over her shoulder at Waverly. The smile she'd seen was gone, replaced by something stiffer, more guarded. "Mother, may I present my squadmates? This is Wynonna, intelligence; Jeremy, tech; and our captain, Natalie."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Admiral Gibson said, smiling at each of them before letting her gaze land on Nicole. "I'm glad you're here Cadet Haught. From what I've heard, you were nearly left behind on Titan."

"Yes, I got unexpectedly... delayed." She flashed her the sheepish smile that usually won her a few extra days with the rent or convinced a jaded freight pilot to siphon some fuel into Nicole's tank.

It didn't seem to have quite the same effect on the admiral.

"Natalie need to work on her first impressions," Waverly said. She suppressed a smile but wasn't able to extinguish the gleam of amusement in her eyes. "But she improves upon further acquaintance."

"I'm sure that's true," the admiral said in a tone Nicole couldn't quite read. "Now, if you'll all follow me, I've just been informed dinner is ready." Without another look at Nicole, she turned on her heel and swept away, her long skirt streaming behind her.

The admiral's dining room was considerably smaller than the hall where the cadets ate but even more ornate. Hanging from the ceiling was an enormous chandelier with so many glinting crystals, it looked like a preening Purgatorian girl in one of her fancy dresses. As she sat down, Nicole half expected the chandelier to whisper something about grimy Settlers.

Two attendants zipped around the table, and a moment later, each person's glass was filled with a fizzy, deep purple liquid.

"Unity and prosperity," Admiral Gibson said, raising her glass as she gave the traditional Fleet toast.

"Unity and prosperity," the cadets echoed.

Everyone clinked glasses, Nicole a bit overzealously. She ended up sloshing some liquid onto the sleeve of Her borrowed suit. _Sorry,_ Nicole mouthed to Jeremy as he used his napkin to clean it.

As they ate their appetizer, an unexpectedly sweet but oddly enjoyable blue soup, Admiral Gibson asked them about their backgrounds, their classwork, and their plans for the future. She asked Wynonna questions about growing up on Panama and seemed impressed when Jeremy mentioned that he'd taught himself Latin. "And what about you, Natalie?" Admiral Gibson asked, lowering her spoon and looking at her expectantly. "I imagine you must've been pretty please to make captain. Did you always see yourself as a leader?"

Nicole suppressed a snort and nearly choked on her blue soup. She swallowed, then managed to stammer, "No.. not exactly." Unless by "leader" she meant "errand girl for one of the most wanted criminals in the solar system."

"You were assigned captain over Waverly, so you must have demonstrated some special talents on the aptitude test, and I'm very curious about what those might be." The admiral paused thoughtfully, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Waverly tense. "Did you lead any athletic teams back on Titan.?

"I did not," Nicole said with a polite smile.

"Were you the president of any societies at school?"

"My school didn't exactly have societies," she said as Jeremy and Wynonna exchanged nervous glances.

"That's a shame, though you were probably grateful for all the extra time to study. Did you win any special awards?"

Nicole considered claiming Natalie's awards but decided against it lest she get caught in the lie. "No, I din't actually do much to distinguish myself until I took the Academy's entrance exam."

Admiral Gibson shot her a tight smile. "That just makes your captain assignment all the more remarkable, wouldn't you say?"

Nicole shifted in her uncomfortable chair. She'd always prided herself in knowing the right thing to say in tense situations, but in the past, they'd generally involved whiny rich people, careless water dealers, and apathetic police. Admiral Gibson belonged to a different category.

Before she could respond, Waverly spoke up. "Natalie is an excellent captain. I've never met anyone with such great instincts." Jeremy and Wynonna quickly chimed in with similar words or praise.

Nicole barley had time to take in her squadmates' kind words when Admiral Gibson continued. "Is that so?" She turned to Nicole and raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, why do you think you were named captain?"

Nicole had had enough. "I'm sorry, am I under investigation here?" she asked, no longer able to keep the edge out of her voice.

"There's no reason to get defensive, Cadet Haught," Admiral Gibson said. "I'm just trying to get to know you."

But Nicole knew better. She couldn't hide her disgust over the fact that someone from Titan beat out her daughter for captain. Anger and indignation bubbled in her chest. Gibson didn't know anything about what it meant to be from Titan. She didn't know how hard she and Natalie had worked to survive after their parents died. How Natalie's thirty six hour shifts and Nicole's endless delivery runs across the desert weren't always enough to keep the gnawing hunger at bay.

She couldn't do it. She refused to sit here and listen to this bullshit, admiral be damned. She folded her napkin carefully, placed it on the table, then pushed her chair back and stood up. "You'll have to forgive me. I'm not feeling very well all of a sudden. Good evening, Admiral," she said stiffly. Without waiting for a response, she turned and strode out, ignoring Jeremy's and Wynonna's looks of horror and Waverly's expression of pain.


	20. Jeremy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait on the next chapter. I have been swamped with getting ready for my early completion with school so please bare with me. Right now I am on a break so I will try and have a few chapters up. They are all drafted I just need to go over them and make sure they are up to my standards.

"We should go," Jeremy called, his voice echoing the dark, cavernous zero-gravity chamber. "We're going to be late for dinner!" He and Robin had been studying in the library, but Robin had grown restless and insisted that they needed to "increase blood flow to their brains" by floating around in zero gravity.

Although Jeremy had a big history assignment due tomorrow, he hadn't put up much of a protest. Ever since his conversation with Pond, he'd found it hard to relax around Robin, and the library had stated to feel airless. He knew Pond's warning was ridiculous, yet Jeremy couldn't quite shake the seed of uncertainty that had taken root in his mind. Perhaps, despite his professed horror of his father's beliefs, Robin was finding it more difficult to reject his father's teachings than he believed. That would explain why, despite al the time they spent together and their undeniable chemistry, Robin still hadn't made a move.

"Five more minutes!" Robin shouted back. Jeremy released his grip on the handhold to flex his cramping fingers. He'd begun to pull himself along the wall toward the exit, but it sounded like Robin was still floating somewhere in the middle of the dark room. "I've almost mastered a quadruple somersault." They'd spend the past hour practicing different moves, laughing each time they knocked into each other or thudded against the padded wall, but now Jeremy was hungry and ready to go.

"Come on. They don't let you have the appetizer if you're late." He still didn't understand why the attendants were programmed to throw away food rather than serve it to latecomers.

Robin let out a "whoop," and in the dim light, Jeremy could see him rotating through the air. There was a dull thud as Robin hit the wall next to Jeremy. Laughing, he scrambled for a handhold, brushing against Jeremy's arm as he searched. "Some things are more important than food, you know."

Normally, anything Robin said in that suggestive tone made Jeremy's whole body tingle, but this time he pulled away slightly as an image formed in his mind. His mother, pale and drawn, forcing a smile as she encouraged Jeremy to eat her portion of dinner. "I'm not very hungry, sweetheart, take it."

Sensing that something was wrong, Robin places his free hand on Jeremy's arm. "What's wrong? What did I do?"

"It's nothing." Jeremy shook his head. "It's just that... I wish you wouldn't make fun of me for not wanting to miss dinner."

Even in the dark, he could see Robin's face fall. "I'm sorry. I'm an idiot," Robin said, squeezing Jeremy's arm. "You're right. We should go to dinner."

"You're not an idiot," Jeremy said, as the sensation of Robin's touch sent shivers down his spine. "Could an idiot pull of a quadruple somersault?"

But his attempt to light the mood fell flat. "You know, we've never really spoken about your life on Ginus," Robin said softly.

"Yeah, because it's boring." Jeremy said forced a smile. "It was cold. I studied a lot. We were pretty poor, but so were most people. And things are different now. Although it's going to be at least three years until I start earning my Fleet salary, the general store already extended my mom's line of credit. For the first time, she's also going to have enough to eat."

He expected Robin to smile at this comforting news, but his face only grew graver. "I'm so sorry, Jeremy. I really had no idea."

"It's not your fault," Jeremy said. But the moment the words left his mouth, a heavy silence filled the space between them. He knew they were both thinking the same thing. If it were up to Robin's father, Jeremy would've never been accepted into the Academy. He would've spent the rest of his life on Ginus, working a backbreaking job while he watched his mother waste away.

"What about your father?" Robin asked gently.

"He was killed in a mining accident when I was really young. The tunnel he was in collapsed and.." It had been so long since he'd spoken about his father, it was difficult to summon the words. "He and his team were too far underground. No one even tried to rescue them. They were just left there to die."

Robin was silent for a long moment. "That's horrible," he said, the squeezed Jeremy's arm again. "I'm so, so sorry."

"It happens a lot on Ginus. Nearly half the kids in my school had lost a parent."

"That's awful." Robin shook his head. "I can't believe we never talk about stuff like that on Purgatory. It's all write an essay on the importance of Ginusian exports, not discuss all the ways the Purgatorians are making life miserable for the rest of the solar system."

"See what you did?" Jeremy said as he smacked Robin playfully on the arm. "You made me talk about my childhood, and now I've totally ruined the mood."

Robin shook his head. "You're incapable of ruining anything 223."

"You know," Jeremy said tentatively, "you never really talk about your childhood either."

"That's because mine was pretty boring too. I was rich. The weather was pleasant. My dad was an asshole. That's pretty much it."

It was the first time Robin had mentioned his father since Jeremy had confronted him the night of the formal. "You said that you don't really talk to him anymore. When did that happen?"

"A few months ago. My dad wanted me to start speaking at his rallies, to be the voice of my generation or some magma boar shit like that. And I told him that I couldn't. Not only that I wouldn't, but also that I was physically incapable of spewing hateful lies. That went over about as well as you'd imagine."

"What happened?" Jeremy asked, just managing to keep his voice steady despite his racing heart.

"He told me I was a brainwashed traitor and that he couldn't stand to look at me."

Robin spoke matter-of-factly, but there was something in his face that made Jeremy's heart ache. He tried to imagine his mother saying something like that to him, but it was impossible. "Did he kick you out?"

"I'd already been accepted to the Academy, so we basically ignored each other until I left. He told me that if I went, that was it. He'd never speak to me again."

"He wasn't proud that you'd been accepted?" Jeremy asked, confused. From what he could tell, most of the Purgatory kids at the Academy had spent their entire lives preparing for the entrance exams.

"He was proud until he learned that the Academy had finally been integrated. He didn't want his son being forced into some delusional social experiment."

The question that Jeremy had ben trying to ignore for weeks finally clawed its way out. "What would he say if he found out you were... hanging out with me?"

A mischievous smile spread across Robin's face. "He'd be furious."

"And that doesn't bother you?" He knew Robin fiercely disapproved of his father's politics, but he was still Robin's father.

"No, it doesn't," Robin said, sounding strangely serious again.

"Why?"

Robin let go of the handle and floated toward Jeremy until their heads were practically touching. "Because.." Robin's breath tickled Jeremy's face. He came closer, and then his lips were against Jeremy's

Although Jeremy had imagined this moment countless times, it still came as such a surprise that his brain nearly short-circuited, and for a few seconds, he could barley more. An electrical charge surged through Jeremy's body, burning away every though except for the sensation of Robin's lips on his. Holding on to the wall grip with one hand, he wrapped his other arm around Robin and kissed him back. Every time his lips bushed against Robin's, it sent a new jolt through his body. Distracted, he felt himself start to float away from the wall and held on tighter, strengthening his hold on the handle and Robin's waist, his fingers gripping the skin between the top of Robin's pants and the hem of his shirt. Robin gasped, and the sound was enough to make Jeremy shudder.

A moment later, they were drifting through the air, still locked in a kiss as they clung together. Only two thoughts remained in Jeremy's head... Sergeant Pond had no idea what he was talking about, and this was the best moment of Jeremy's life.


	21. Wynonna

Rosita yawned and glanced at the clock. "Holy hell. I had no idea how late it was. Why did you let me talk your ear off?"

"Sorry, what?" Wynonna asked, startled. She'd spent the day in a daze, consumed by a disorienting jumble of emotions. Although she'd successfully completed her mission, her body was slowly filling with a thickening dread.

It was worse in the silence of her room, so after returning from dinner, she'd ended up sitting on the couch with Rosita as her roommate described, in excruciating detail, her most recent interaction with Natalie. She and Rosita had spent ten minutes talking in the common room earlier that day, an event that apparently required three hours of analysis. Normally, this recap would've struck Wynonna as a monumental waste of time, but now, she welcomed the distraction. She'd take Rosita's innocent prattle over the haunting refrain that echoed through her head when she was on her own. "Everyone here is going to die because of you."

"It was an interesting story," Wynonna said, only half lying. The concerns that had seemed so trivial when she'd first arrived at the Academy-- what to wear, who had a crush on whom-- had begun to intrigue her. This was what life was like for people who were allowed to have friends, fall in love, experience heartbreak. All the things Wynonna had sacrificed to ensure that millions of other Revenants could have them. Because somewhere, light years away, a Revenant girl was pouring her heart out to her friend, confiding her dreams of a future that would never take shape if the Revenants didn't stop the Fleet from destroying their home.

"You're a terrible liar," Rosita said with a smile. 'You have no idea, Wynonna though.

Rosita yawned again, then stood and stretched her arms over her head. "I'm going to bed. Are you going to study for a bit?"

Wynonna nodded. She was going to pretend to study, at least. Anything to delay going to bed and being alone with her thoughts. After Rosita said good night and disappeared into her room, Wynonna pulled up her calculus assignment, but after she stared at the equations for a few minutes, her heart started to race. She couldn't sit here, surrounded by the peacefully sleeping cadets she'd sentence to die.

She remembered what Doc had told her about the ocean tank, where you could float on your back and stare up at the stars, forgetting you are in space. That sounded exactly like what she needed now. He'd said it was off-limits to cadets after-hours, but since she was already committing espionage, it seemed silly to worry about such a trivial infraction.

Wynonna didn't have any trouble finding the ocean tank, which was near the pool where they'd had aquatic training last week. After weeks of prowling the Academy at night, she knew her way around.

From the moment Wynonna stepped inside, she knew she'd made the right decision. The only sound was the gentle slosh of water, the crash of small waves. She took a deep breath and smiled as her nose filled with the comforting scent of salt instead of chlorine.

She took off her uniform and left it in a pile on the ground, revealing the Academy-issued bathing suit she'd put on underneath. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she inched her way toward the edge of the tank, settling on the ledge, unsure of whether it was deep enough to dive.

Another sound reached her ears. The quiet splash of a skilled swimmer moving through the water. Startled, she peered into the tank, but it was too dark to see anything clearly. "Hello?" someone called. The voice was low and quiet, and for a moment, Wynonna couldn't tell where it was coming from. The echoing words and the echoing water blended together, surrounding her from all sides.

"Doc?" The name slipped out before she had time to stop herself. "I mean, Lieutenant Holliday?"

"You know you're supposed to call me Doc," he said, a hint of a smile in his voice. She could just barely make out the instructor's outline swimming toward her.

"How'd you know it was me?" Wynonna asked, tugging at the straps of her bathing suit, which covered less of her chest than she would have liked.

"Just a hunch." He sounded more amused than surprised to find her there. "You should come in."

Wynonna hesitated. Surely the counterintelligence expert would be able to detect the cloud of shame hovering over her. Yet she wanted to dive into the water so badly, her need felt like a physical ache.

"Okay," she said, rising to her feet.

"Hold on. Let me go turn off the waves. They can be a little much at first." Despite the anxiety churning in her stomach, Wynonna smiled as she wondered what Doc would think if he ever saw her swim on Ghost River, ducking under the twenty-foot waves that routinely smashed against the seawall in the spring.

She could just make out his shadowy outline as he pulled himself out of the tank, fastening something to his leg, then strode off. A few moments later, the sound of the waves grew quieter, and Doc returned. The only light in the room came from the faintly glowing stars overhead. As Wynonna's eyes adjusted to the darkness, the details came into focus. The glint of starlight on Doc' titanium leg as he walked toward the tank. The tautness of his muscles. The relaxed expression on his face, a far cry from the intense stare that made so many cadets cower.

Standing on his right leg, he removed his prosthesis. It didn't seem to affect his balance because, without hesitating, he raised his arms over his head, crouched for a moment, then sprang into the air, his body creating a graceful arc before he slipped into the water with barely a splash. A few seconds later, he broke through the surface and pushed his wet hair out of his eyes. "Okay," he said, treading water. "All set."

She considered diving in as well but settled for lowering herself onto the edge and then slipping into the tank. Wynonna let out a silent sigh as the water surrounded her like a warm embrace, then she ducked under and swam a few lengths. She emerged a few moments later and grinned, relishing the feeling of weightlessness that, to her disappointment, hadn't been a normal part of living in space.

Doc was floating on his back just like he'd told her he liked to do. There was so much salt in the water, he barely needed to move to stay afloat, his nearly still limbs glistening. Her eyes landed on his left leg, which ended below his knee.

"How'd you lose your leg?" she asked curiously.

Doc looked at her with surprise, and Wynonna realized she'd made a mistake. "I'm sorry. That was rude."

But to her relief, he smiled. "Not at all. It's refreshing, actually. Most people are too afraid to ask. I was stationed at Ginus during the last attack."

His casual tone was no different than the one he used during class when he was comparing different code breaking techniques. Yet the words sent chills down Wynonna's spine. She'd spent years hearing about successful attacks against the Fleet, but in all that time, she'd never once wondered what those targets might entail. Who might be inside those targets. She'd come to the Academy to help the Revenants destroy the Fleet, but the closer she got to her goal, the more she questioned whether it was the right thing to do. 

"That must've been terrifying," she said. Although Doc's face was placid, she sensed the phantom of fear and pain hovering around him as the memories resurfaced.

Something in his expression changed. "It was," he said quietly. "I don't talk about it often, but.." He smiled as he shook his head. "Sorry. I'm being ridiculous."

"I don't think you're being ridiculous." If anything, she was the ridiculous one, going for a midnight swim with one of the Fleet's most famous counterintelligence officers, a man who had devoted his life to protecting his people from the Revenants. People like her. Yet, for some reason, she felt far more comfortable talking to him than with Rosita or her squadron mates. Although their motives couldn't be more different, Doc and Wynonna both know what it was like to devote your life to a cause you believed in. "I think you're brave."

He fell quiet for such a long moment that Wynonna wondered if he'd heard her, but then he finally broke the silence. "I never believe people when they say that. It always sounds like they're reading from a script."

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean..."

He closed the distance between them with a few powerful strokes. "No." He shook his head. "I mean, it sounds different coming from you. I keep thinking about what you said in the corridor that night.. "What you want is' as important as what others need." I agree with you. It's been a while since I've spoken to someone who understands reality.." He stared at something in the darkness.

She swam closer, pulled him as if he were a magnet. "Sacrifice," she whispered.

He exhaled, then shifted his gaze to lock eyes with her.

"Yes." His face was so close to hers, she could feel his breath on her skin.

"Though, at this moment, I kind of wish I hadn't become a teacher."

"Why?" she asked as her heart started to race.

He shook his head, sending droplets of water into the air. "Never mind. I'm being an idiot."

"Are you?" she asked quietly. Then, without waiting for a response, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his.

He didn't move. He barely seemed to breathe, and for a moment, Wynonna thought she'd made a terrible mistake. But then he placed his hand on the other side of her face and kissed her again, sending electricity sizzling through her body. Her lips parted, and she shivered slightly as his hand slid down her back, pulling her closer. It felt as if she were seeping into him, like there was nothing keeping her from melting into the water except for the pressure of his hand on her and the warmth of his lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked, pulling away just long enough to whisper in her ear.

Wynonna's heart was beating so fast, she could barely speak. "Yes," she breathed. And for the first time since arriving at the Academy, it was true.


	22. Waverly

"One more direct hit, and they're toast," Waverly said, grinning at the damaged Revenant ship on their simulcraft system.

"Toast?" Jeremy repeated without looking away from his control panel, where he was busy calculating how much fuel they'd need to return to base.

"you don't know what toast is!?" Waverly said incredulously as she steered the fightercraft into a sharp dive to avoid one last desperate batch of enemy fire. "It's just bread that's been.. toasted." She winced at her awkwardness and braced for whatever retort Natalie was about to hurl her way. Over the past few weeks, they'd fallen into an established pater of banter, while she'd never admit it, had become one of her favorite parts of squadron practice.

"I know what toast is," Jeremy said, rolling his eyes. "We just don't have that expression on Ginus."

"Toast is bread that's been toasted," Natalie called from behind her, just as she'd expected. "What a pleasure to see the famous Purgatorian intellect at work. Truly dazzling."

Waverly smiled, grateful Natalie couldn't see it. "What would you rather have me focus on? Describing the way the carbon molecules in the bread's sugars react with the amino acids? Or destroying the Revenant ship and winning this battle?"

Even without looking, she could see Natalie pretending to consider the question, her brow furrowing with mock thoughtfulness. "I think it's important that pilots be able to multitask."

"Pretty sure I can steer and slap that grin off your face at the same time. Should I try?"

"How do you know I'm grinning?" Natalie asked. "I could be fighting back tears for all you know. That was a serious threat you just made."

Because I know your expressions as well as I know this craft's engine, she thought. "Because you're boring and predictable," she called back.

"Okay, you two." Jeremy said with more affection than annoyance. "We haven't won yet. Everyone needs to focus. We have to launch that last missile in the next two minutes, or we're going to run out of fuel before we get back to the base."

"Noted," Natalie said in her slightly amusing, slightly irritating "captain's voice." "Wynonna, are there any other enemy ships in the area?' She paused. "Wynonna?"

Waverly glanced over her shoulder at their intelligence officer, who was staring at the screen with a distant expression. Finally, Wynonna caught Waverly's eye and blinked. "Sorry," she said, turning to face her control panel. "No.. no one else in the area."

"Okay, Waverly, take us in for the kill."

A minute later, the simulcraft screen filled with flames from the exploding Revenant ship. Waverly raised her arms in the air and swiveled around to face her squadmates.

Wynona remained seated, but then Jeremy and Natalie both leapt out of their chairs. Jeremy let out a whoop and tried to congratulate Wynonna while Natalie grinned at Waverly. "Nicely done, pilot." Then, to her surprise, she pulled her into a hug, sending a current of electricity through her body. She pulled away, startled. "I'm sorry," she said as she took a step back

"No, it's fine," she said quickly, wincing inwardly at the hint of embarrassment on Natalie's face. "I'm just.. sweaty."

"I know." Her smile returned. "I'm completely repulsed. But I still have my appetite, thank heavens. Who wants to go to the canteen for a snack?' She turned to face the others, but Wynonna had already slipped out of the simulcraft.

"Sorry, I'm meeting Robin to study." Jeremy glanced at the time and groaned. "I didn't realize I was this late. See you guys at dinner!" he called as he hurried out, leaving Waverly and Natalie alone for the first time since the disastrous dinner with her mother.

That night, Waverly had tried to compose a message to Natalie apologizing for her mother's behavior, but she'd eventually given up. What was she supposed to say? 'I'm sorry my mother insulted you and your entire planet?' She couldn't believe how calm and dignified Natalie had remained throughout the whole debacle. She'd been the model of composure when she'd made her abrupt departure, although Waverly could sense it was requiring all her self-control to hold back the fury she'd seen in Natalie's eyes.

"Feel like refueling?" Natalie asked, slightly more hesitantly than before.

Waverly felt an unexpected rush of heat to her cheeks. She wished she could say yes. She imagined them at a quiet table in the canteen, their teasing giving way to more serious conversation. She liked being around the playful, brash Natalie, but she wanted to spend more time with the other version of her too -- the intense, thoughtful women she sensed lurking behind the bravado. But she was meeting Champ soon and needed to get ready.

"I can't. I... I have to meet with my history instructor," she said, surprising herself with the lie.

"Good luck," Natalie said cheerfully. "Some other time."

She nodded, hoping that she couldn't read her expressions as well as she could read hers.

"How exactly did you get permission for this? Waverly asked for what felt like the hundredth time since Champ showed up at her room in a suit and announced he had a surprise for her.

"I told you not to worry. It's all taken care of," Champ said with a grin. He wasn't wearing a tie, and his white shirt was open at the neck, revealing the slier of smooth, tanned skin that, in the past, she'd never been able to resist kissing. At the moment, however, Waverly found herself more interested in why they were in the Academy's highly restricted launchport than tracing Champ's collarbone with her lips. Champ nodded as two guards stepped aside to let them enter the vast hangar that held the Academy's army of ships.

A young man in a fleet uniform approached. "Cadet Hardy. Cadet Gibson. Follow me, please."

"Is the surprise that we're being court-martialed?" Waverly asked with a nervous laugh.

Champ merely smiled and took her hand. As they followed the officer down the long row of ships, Waverly's concern gave way to awe. The streamlined ships were so beautiful, and she could only imagine how impressive they looked flying in formation.

At the end of the term, the highest ranked squadron would get to carry out an actual operation in a real fightercraft, and the thought of sitting in the pilot's seat as she maneuvered out of the launchport sent a chill down her spine. She could almost hear Natalie saying, "Nicely done, pilot," her voice full of admiration.

After they walked what felt like the entire length of the Academy, the officer escorting them stopped in front of a massive craft Waverly had never seen in person before but recognized instantly. It was a Pulsar; one of the fleet's largest, best-equipped battlecraft, capable of traveling to the farthest reaches of the solar system. "This is incredible," Waverly whispered, craning her head back to see more before turning to Champ with a smile. "This is the perfect surprise. How'd you know it was docked here?"

"Oh, we're just getting started," Champ said as the officer pressed his hand against a panel near the entrance.

"You have one hour," the officer said as the door hissed open

Waverly looked incredulously from the ship to Champ to the officer. "We get to go inside?"

"Come one, Wave," Champ said eagerly, taking her hand. They stepped inside and headed up a narrow circular staircase. With every step, Waverly's heart beat faster. Members of the Fleet worked for years before earning a spot on the Pulsar crew, and here she was, exploring one on her own.

At the top of the stairs was the command deck; a vast open floor about twenty times larger than the simulcraft. At the moment, the enormous windows looked out onto the launchport, but Waverly could imagine the breathtaking view when the ship was moving fifty thousand miles an hour along the edge of the solar system. Various controls lined the perimeter, with chairs for the pilot, technology officer, intelligence officer, and, of course, the captain.

"Go for it." Champ gestured at the captain's chair with a grin. "See how it feels."

"What? No way." Waverly inched back. Just the mere thought of sitting in the Pulsar captain's chair felt like high treason.

"Come on." He tugged her toward the chair. "It's fine. I promise."

Gingerly, Waverly lowered herself into the captain's seat, bracing for some sort of alarm to sound. When nothing happened, she placed her hands on the armrests and grinned.

Champ took a few steps back, cocked his head to the side, and surveyed Waverly with a smile. "Very nice. You look like you belong there."

"How did you arrange this?" Waverly asked, still feeling slightly dazed as she looked around the command deck.

"I pulled a few strings." Champ's smile widened, revealing his perfect white teeth. "Dating the daughter of the admiral has its advantages."

"What does that mean? Who'd you talk to?" Waverly sprang to her feet as her confusion began to crystallize into anxiety. She was trying her hardest to shake the cloud of nepotism that cast a shadow on all her accomplishments. The last thing she needed was to be caught getting special treatment.

Champ shook his head with mock disbelief. "Seriously, Wave? Are you such a control freak that you can't let yourself relax for five minutes? I told you, it's all taken care of."

"You're right." She made a show of closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "This is amazing. Thank you." It didn't get better than this, she reminded herself. She was the luckiest girl in the solar system to have a boyfriend who cared this much about her, who was thoughtful enough to plan such an extraordinary treat.

"It's not over yet. Come on." Champ took her hand and led her up another staircase. "I think this is where they told me to go..." he said as they wandered down a passage that seemed to be lined with sleeping quarters before coming to a stop next to an open door. "Great, here we are."

Waverly peered inside, then turned to Champ in disbelief. "This is the captain's dining room," she said.

"It is indeed. After you, Wave," he said, gesturing for her to go first.

This time, Waverly knew better than to protest, and with a smile, she stepped inside. The dining room reminded her of her family's library, though instead of animal heads, the walls were adorned with maps of their solar system and the surrounding solar systems. Lamplight provided a soft glow, and when Waverly peered at one of the fixtures for a closer look, she realized it was a Purgatorian antique that had been retrofitted to be bolted into the ship's wall. "Pretty swanky for a military ship," she said, impressed.

"the Pulsar's designed for trips that last five years or more, so I guess they want the officers to be comfortable." Champ wrapped his arm around Waverly's waist. "Though as long as you were here with me, I wouldn't care how long we were gone for."

She raised an eyebrow. "What would people say if they discovered that the captain was dating a member of her crew?" Waverly imagined herself a few years older, exchanging a knowing smile with a gorgeous officer on the deck of her ship, enjoying their shared secret. Except, to her surprise, the first face she saw wasn't Champ's... It was Natalie's. "You've been spending too much time at practice," Waverly told herself. "It's normal to get confused."

"No idea. I'm more concerned with what people would say about the captain dating his pilot."

"You just said how good I looked in the captain's seat," Waverly said, jabbing Champ in the ribs.

"You looked very good. But it goes without saying that I'd look even better." He jumped to the side and laughed as Waverly directed another blow his way. "Hmm.. assaulting your superior officer. I might have to send your dinner to the brig."

"Dinner?" Waverly repeated. She looked around the room and realized that the table at the far end was covered in silver serving dishes. "Wait? Is that for us?"

"It is indeed. And it looks like we have" -- Champ checked his phone-- "exactly forty-eight minutes to eat and get out of here before our fried downstairs shoves us out of the airlock."

"Champ..." she said softly as they sat down. "This is incredible. You're incredible." 

An attendant appeared and filled their water glasses. "You deserved a treat," Champ said. "You've been such a great sport about losing captain, but I didn't want you to forget about the future you've always dreamed of. The future you deserve." He raised his glass.

"Thank you," she said.

"Unity and prosperity," Champ said as he clinked his glass against Waverly's while she echoed the toast. "You look beautiful. It's nice to see you so relaxed."

Waverly tried not to think about what Natalie had told her that day in the bathroom: Your strategy, your focus, your ability to stay four steps ahead of your competition. It's impressive. There'd been a look of admiration in her eyes. But what did that matter? Champ was allowed to appreciate different things about her.

"And to your second victory," Champ said, raising his glass again. "You know, people are starting to think your squadron has a real chance at winning the whole thing. And I think everyone knows who's really responsible."

Waverly took a sip of the soup the attendant had just ladled into her bowl. "What do you mean?"

Champ gave her a knowing look. "I mean, everyone knows that it's not the Tinak captain who's behind your wins."

Waverly lowered her spoon and placed it on the edge of the bowl as she looked at Champ with surprise. "Natalie is doin a great job. She's inexperienced, but she had really good instincts. I've said so before."

"Come on, Wave," Champ said with a laugh. "I promise this place isn't bugged. You don't have to perform all the time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, unable to keep a hint of frustration from creeping into her voice.

"I mean, you don't have to pretend like you're not making up for a lot of deadweight. It's one thing to have a settler tech officer and intelligence officer. But a Settler captain? You know the Academy only did that so no one complained."

Part of her longed to agree with him. It was tempting to give in to Champ's certainty, to agree that, yes, of course Waverly had outscored Natalie on the aptitude exam. That she'd lost captain because of political reasons, because it looked bad for the admiral's daughter to captain a squadron full of Settlers. Yet she knew it was a lie. "I'm not pretending anything," she said carefully, anxious not to ruin the surprise Champ had planned for her. "Natalie deserves to be captain. I'm not saying I didn't also deserve it, but she's not getting any special treatment."

Champ ran his hand through his hair, a gesture that used to soften Waverly during their arguments but had little effect this time. "Of course they're getting special treatment. When did you become so naïve? Haven't you started to wonder why your squadron keeps getting such high scores?"

"What are you suggesting?" Waverly tried to keep her tone light and playful, as if they were just bantering as usual. But she couldn't ignore the apprehension building in her chest.

"Come one." He leaned back in his chair. "Don't make me say it. I don't want to sound like an asshole."

"I think it's too late for that," she said with a tight smile. 

Champ closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as though he were trying to summon reserves of patience. "You've been flying really well. No one questions that. But Your squadron's scores just don't make sense. Mine has never broken seventy, and you consistently score in the low eighties."

"And it never occurred to you that maybe, just maybe, it's because we're better than you?"

"Sure. Eventually. But how could three Settlers who'd never set foot in a simulcraft until a few weeks ago suddenly be outperforming kids who've been training their whole lives? You have to admit, it's pretty suspicious." He saw the frustration in her face, and his voice softened. "You know what, forget about it. I'm sorry, Waverly." He reached across the table for her hand. "Will you forgive me? I'm just tired and stressed. Please don't let it ruin our evening. I love you."

The words normally sank into her chest and wrapped themselves around Waverly's heart like a hug, but this time they bounced off her skin. Still, she smiled and said, "I love you too."

After all her years of practice, Waverly always knew how to say the right thing.


	23. Nicole

"Nice work today," her theoretical-physics instructor, Lieutenant Rigo, said. Nicole was glad the classroom was empty so there was no one to see her blush. She couldn't remember the last time a teacher had given her a compliment. When she was younger, her instructors had always been irritated by her constant stream of questions; they assumed she was trying to challenge their authority, not that she was merely curious. Once she got older, she'd stopped asking questions altogether.

But things were different at the Academy. Instead of rolling their eyes when she spoke up, her instructors brightened, eager to discuss. Today, she and Lieutenant Rigo spent ten minutes debating dark matter, and at the end of class she'd actually smiled at Nicole. The last time she'd tried to debate a teacher, she'd told her she was a wiseass who'd never amount to anything. It hadn't bothered her in the moment; she'd always known she was a wiseass who'd never amount to anything. The only person who seemed to think otherwise was Natalie, but Nicole figured her kindhearted big sister was deluding herself. You're way smarter than I am, and you can do whatever the hell you want. When Nicole had read that line in Natalie's message, she'd felt a bittersweet pang amid the crushing pain; it had been comforting to see that her brother, though misguided, had never abandoned her faith in her even at the end.

Yet the past few weeks at the Academy had gone well enough to make Nicole wonder if, perhaps, Natalie hadn't been totally mistaken. She was keeping on top of her assignments and impressing her instructors. even better, her squadron had been steadily climbing the rankings and seemed to have a real shot at winning the entire thing.

"Good luck with the rest of the tournament," Lieutenant Rigo said, as if reading her mind. "We all expect great things from you, Natalie."

A strange sensation washed over her, a combination of pride and sadness. She finally had the chance to do something with her life, and the one person who cared enough to be proud of her was gone. "Gone but not forgotten", Nicole thought. She was glad to be attending the Academy under her sister's name. She likes that a part of whatever recognition she earned would always go to Natalie.

"Please report to the medical center," her monitor trilled in her ear.

"What?" Nicole said aloud, startled. "Why?"

"You've been summoned to the medical center. Please head there immediately."

"Is everything okay?" Lieutenant Rigo asked.

"Yes, fine. I'll see you tomorrow!" She did her best to sound cheerful and carefree, but as she walked down the corridor she couldn't quell the mounting panic in her chest. Nedley had told her he'd been able to hack the Sectors clinic files in time, but what if something had gone wrong?"

"Natalie!" Nicole turned to see Steph walking toward her, clearly trying to catch up without doing anything undignified as jogging.

"Hey," Nicole said as she fell into stride next to her, slightly breathless. "I'm kind of in a rush."

"A rush where? Are you avoiding me?" she said playfully.

"Avoiding you?" Nicole repeated, confused. Steph hadn't crossed her mind since she'd given her the account number for the transfer.

"Listen, a bunch of us are watching a movie tonight in the screening room later if you want to come." She tossed her blond curls over her shoulder and looked at her expectantly.

"Yeah, maybe," she said, though in her mind, she wasn't sure there would even be a tonight. She paused as they reached the end of the hallway. "Is the medical center to the left or right?"

"It's that way." Steph gestured to the left. "Are you okay? You're all sweaty. Are you having blood drawn or something? Afraid of needles?"

"Yeah, terrified," she said distractedly as she peered down the corridor.

"Do you want me to come keep you company?"

"No." It came out much harsher than she'd intended, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Steph bristle. "Maybe I'll see you tonight, though," she said, hoping that would be enough to make amends. "Is Waverly going to be there?"

"Don't you spend enough time with her already?" Steph's syrupy sweet voice took on a slight edge. "Besides, she hasn't been much fun lately. If she even shows up at all, she'll spend the whole night talking to Champ. I guess the rest of us aren't worth her precious time."

Nicole remembered the look on Waverly's face after their last win, the way her laugh made something inside her chest start fizzing. "I think she knows how to have fun when she's in the mood."

Steph's face hardened, though her smile remained fixed firmly in place. "Of course. I mean, who wouldn't be in the mood to be whisked away on a romantic date by your ludicrously good looking boyfriend."

"What are you talking about?" Nicole asked.

"Didn't you know? Champ got permission to have dinner in the Pulsar that's docked at the Academy. And I'm sure it's just a rumor" -- she lowered her voice conspiratorially--"but I heard they took a private tour of one of the cabins when no one was looking."

Nicole knew Steph was just trying to get a rise out of her, but that didn't keep her stomach from churning at the idea of Waverly with the smug Purgatorian. "I need to go. I'll see you later."

"Tonight!" she trilled after her.

Five minutes later, she was sitting on an exam table, sweat beading her forehead as the doctor explained why she'd called him. "We received your medical records from Titan, but I need to take another DNA sample to make sure it matches the information in your file."

"Why?" Nicole asked hoarsely.

"It's Fleet protocol. It'll just take a minute. Can you extend your arm please?"

'This is it', Nicole thought as she rolled up her sleeve. If Nedley had succeeded in swapping Natalie's medical data for Nicole's, everything would check out. But if something went wrong, the doctor would know that Nicole was an imposter. This wasn't Titan. There'd be nowhere to run. She'd be in the Fleet's custody within minutes.

"You'll feel a slight pinch," the doctor said as she rubbed alcohol on Nicole's arm. "Are you alright? You seem a little nervous."

"I'm fine."

"Nothing on your mind?"

Only the looming threat of imprisonment and execution. "Just the final battle," Nicole said. It wasn't really a lie. In her more optimistic moments, she'd actually allowed herself to fantasize about the future. She pictured herself graduating from the Academy; with honors, of course; and then entering the Fleet as an officer. It was ridiculous. That's not the kind of thing that happened to kids from Titan., especially not dirt poor orphans who'd spent half their lives trafficking black market water. The only person capable of beating the tremendously low odds was Natalie, and even she hadn't been able to make it off the planet. And yet through a combination of absurdly dumb luck, exceptional timing, and her signature foolhardiness, Nicole had been this close to a real life.

"Okay, hold still."

This was it. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. it was all out of her control now. If her harebrained scheme had worked, she'd know in a minute. But thinking about it now, the chance of that seemed minuscule. Nedley could've taken the money and run. He could've made a half-assed attempt to swap out the records and given up. It was time to accept the inevitable. Nicole was doomed.

She felt a pinch on her arm and closed her eyes as the blood flowed out of her, taking her vision for a better future along with it. The crazy thing was that Waverly was part of every scenario she'd imagined. She saw them standing next to each other at graduation, celebrating their high honors at a fancy party where people would be staring at her with envy instead of disdain, entering the top-secret Fleet base as newly minted officers.

"I'm going to run the blood sample through the computer. It'll take a few seconds."

Nicole could only nod. The images in her head weren't anything more than a delusion. It was time to accept the truth. Waverly was going to be a pilot and spend the rest of her life alternating between trilling missions and glamorous vacations smarmy boyfriend. And Nicole was going to be a corpse.

"You're all set, Natalie. Thanks for your patience."

She couldn't have heard her correctly. Nicole shook her head, trying to settle the chaotic swirl of thoughts. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"Everything's in order. I just scanned your blood, and your records check out. Good luck with your final battle." frozen on the exam table. 'Everything's in order." It had worked. Nedley had done the impossible. She was free.

Slowly, Nicole slid off the table, legs trembling. It was as if someone had pulled a plug in her chest, draining all the anxiety but taking everything else with it. 'It's okay,' she thought. 'You're going to be okay.' She laughed and spun around, nearly knocking over a table covered with sterile surgical tools. But it didn't matter. None of it mattered.

It took her a few minutes to get dressed since her hands were still shaking. But by the time she walked out of the medical center, her cheeks hurt from smiling. She'd been given a second chance to make something of her life, and this time she wasn't going to let anyone stand in her way.


	24. Jeremy

"Have you seen Waverly or Natalie?" Jeremy panted as he and Wynnona finished their fourth lap. They'd started running together a couple evenings a week, and while they normally jogged along in companionable silence, Jeremy was too anxious about the upcoming final battle to stay quiet. Although he knew his grades were probably strong enough to keep him at the Academy, the only way to guarantee a spot in the second year was to win the tournament. "I wonder how they're feeling."

"I'm sure they're fine," Wynonna said, apparently unfazed by both the looming battle and the thick sand covering the ground. The multi-environment track was currently set to desert mode, and the air was hot and thin, as if there wasn't quite enough of it to go around. Everyone who ran by was breathing heavily. "Is Robin upset that we beat him the other day?"

Jeremy grinned at the memory of a sweat-soaked Robin doing his best to act gracious, shaking Natalie's hand and congratulating the rest of Squadron 20 but unable to hide his bafflement. "He was for a bit, but he's gotten over it. I'm pretty sure he's rooting for us to win tomorrow."

"Pretty sure?" Wynonna repeated with a smile. "Of course he is. He clearly cares about you." Her expression changed slightly, just like it always did when she talked about emotions, as if the words didn't quite come naturally to her.

"Maybe," Jeremy said, trying to sound nonchalant despite the flutter in his chest. Ever since their kiss in the zero-gravity chamber, he hadn't been able to think about Robin without his face breaking into an enormous smile. He'd never taken plum dust or anything like it, but he couldn't imagine any drug producing this type of euphoria.

The air suddenly turned moist and cool. "Oh, thank god," Jeremy said. The sand drained away with alarming speed, replaced by thick mud that seeped in from the sides of the track. "Never mind. I don't like this any better." He fought his way through the mud, making a slurping noise every time he lifted his foot.

"The only setting you like is snowstorm," Wynonna said, still breathing normal.

"Yeah, well, wait until you come visit me on Ginus, and you'll see why." To his surprise, Wynonna blushed. "I'm serious," Jeremy continued, trying not to wheeze. "It's cold and boring, but I think you'd still have fun." Based on the very little she'd shared, he got the impression that Wynonna's life on Panama had been a lonely one, and he couldn't wait to let his mother fuss over her.

"I'd like that," she said. Her voice grew quiet, though not from exhaustion like Jeremy's had. "Do you think you'll invite Robin at some point?"

Jeremy also blushed, but since his face was already so red from running, he doubted Wynonna would notice. He thought about bringing Robin to Ginus all the time, but part of him was afraid of what Robin would think of the small, sad home where he'd grown up. At the Academy, it was easy for Robin to forget that Jeremy was a Settler. But on Ginus, there would be no escaping the reality that Jeremy came from a place that Robin had been raised to look down on.

"Maybe, at some point."

Jeremy thought he'd done a good job of keeping his voice light, but it wasn't enough to stop Wynonna from looking at him with concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" he insisted. "I'm just nervous about tomorrow."

"No, it's something else."

For a moment, Jeremy prayed that the poison gas setting would come next so they'd have to grab gas masks and run in silence. He hadn't mentioned his strange conversation with Sergeant Pond to anyone and wasn't eager to relive it. But the words bubbled up seemingly of their own accord. He told Wynonna about Pond's warning, how he didn't think it was a good idea for Jeremy to get too close to Robin.

"That's ridiculous," Wynonna said with more indignation than he'd thought her capable of. "Anyone who's seen you together knows that Robin cares deeply for you."

Jeremy's rapidly beating heart swelled with gratitude. "I think it's more complicated than that, though," he panted. "Hold on, I need to catch my breath." He staggered to a halt and bent over, resting his hands on his knees. "How are you not tired?" He wheezed at Wynonna, who'd barely broken a sweat. 

She shrugged. "I did a lot of endurance training on Panama. So what's more complicated?"

Jeremy jumped to the side to let three mud covered girls run past, their faces contorted with various degrees or pain. "I know Robin likes me. But you've heard about his father; he's leading the charge to get us kicked out of the Academy."

"But that's not what Robin wants."

"No, of course not. But it doesn't make things any simpler. Robin's father is incredibly powerful, and if he finds out his son is dating someone like me, he could make life really difficult for both of us. I just think we might be getting in over our heads."

The mud drained away, leaving firm dirt in its place. "Come on," Wynonna called, starting to run again. "Break's over."

Jeremy trudged after her, wincing with each set. "It doesn't matter," he said with a groan. "Because I'll probably die on this track before any of that stuff becomes an issue."

With a grin, Wynonna spun around and began to run backward. "Will this make it easier for you to keep up?"

"You know, sometimes I wonder if you're the nicest person I know or the most evil., It's hard to tell." Wynonna's face fell as she came to an abrupt stop. "Wynonna, I was just joking," Jeremy said gently. He had to remind himself to think twice before he teased her, as it was never clear what was going to send her into one of her strange, unreadable moods.

"I know," she said, though there was a hint of relief in her voice. "Anyway, I think you should trust Robin. He knows what he's getting into."

"I'm not doubting him. I'm just saying that sometimes you have to accept that there are things out of your control. we're all a product of our backgrounds, you know?"

"And I'm just saying that people can surprise you." Wynonna paused for a moment, staring straight ahead as they ran. "We're shaped by our pasts, but we're not defined by them. We can all make choices."

Jeremy let her words sink in. Perhaps Wynonna was right. After all, Jeremy was both a product of his background and an exception to it. A proud Ginusian who beat all the odds and was now in one of the most promising squadrons in the Fleet Academy. And although Robin had come from very different circumstances, he'd also refused to go down the path others had set for him. He'd been strong enough to make his own choices and would continue to do so. Especially now that had someone supporting him.

"You're right," Jeremy wheezed. His lungs were burning, and he was pretty sure his hamstring were about to disintegrate, but he felt calmer than he had in days.

"I've found that I generally am."

Jeremy smiled. "How come you're allowed to joke and I'm not?"

"Who said that I was joking?" She smirked, then broke into a spring. Despite his protesting muscles, Jeremy ran after her. "How are you planning to win tomorrow if you kill your tech officer?" he called. He smiled to himself. Squadron 7 had no idea what was about to hit them.

By the time he entered the simulcraft the next day, Jeremy found himself feeling slightly less confident. Both squadrons had nearly perfect records, one of which was going to end today.

Natalie was already sitting in the captain's chair, looking distracted as she responded half-heartedly to Waverly's pre battle chatter, which seemed a bit more manic than normal. Wynonna sat quietly in the intelligence officer's seat, but she somehow seemed even more withdrawn than usual.

"Is everything okay?" Jeremy asked, looking around the simulcraft.

"Never better," Waverly said with a slightly strained smile.

"Your mission will commence in two minutes."

Waverly clapped her hands together. "We've got this." she sounded energetic and cheerful, but it wasn't enough to hide her desperation.

"Today, you'll be performing a rescue mission. We've received a distress signal from a team of scientists on a research station above Navo, a gas giant in the uninhabited Hex system. Your objective: Travel to Neva, evacuate the station, and return everyone safely to base. Your score will be determined by speed, fuel usage, and the condition of your passengers and craft.

As Jeremy settled into the tech officer's chair, he cracked his knuckles and turned to Waverly. "Don't worry. This is going to be as easy as.. toast. That's what that means, tight?"

This time, she let out a genuine laugh. "Okay, wiseass. Save all that brain power for the mission." She turned to face the others. "From what I know about Squadron 7,they ten to be overly cautious, so most of their points come from accuracy instead of speed. If we can be fast and accurate, we should be able to beat them easily."

Jeremy glanced at Natalie, waiting for her to point out that she was captain, not Waverly. But to Jeremy's surprise, Natalie looked serious and didn't do more than nod. Jeremy felt more knots of worry form in his stomach. They all had so much banking on this win.

"Commence mission."

"Jeremy, how do the engines look?" Natalie asked, suddenly alert.

Jeremy scanned the numbers on the fuel and temperature monitors. Sometimes, the system threw a wrench into the mission by having you start with a malfunctioning ship, but this time everything looked normal. "All systems go."

"Good. Wynonna, any obstacles?"

Her fingers flew across the screen until an image of the Hex system appeared. "There's a methane storm in the atmosphere of Neva.. a big one. That might be why they've sent a distress call. But the storm isn't anything we need to worry about until we get much closer."

"Okay. In that case, Waverly, take us away."

She nodded in answer and deftly took off from the launchport. A few moments later, they'd left the base behind.

No one spoke much during the journey to the Hex system, which, according to Jeremy's calculations, would take twelve minutes at hyperspeed. As he performed his routine checks on the engines, weapons, and life-support systems, his thoughts drifted to Robin. Would his father be more open to him dating a Settler if Jeremy's squadron won the tournament? Or would it only make him furious to know that Robin had lost to a majority Settler squadron?

"We're less than one parsec away," Wynonna said without looking away from the screen. In response, Waverly took the craft out of hyperspeed, and the world around them came back into focus. "It looks like the research station is floating in the top layer of Neva's atmosphere."

"That means it'd suffer serious damage in a storm," Natalie said. "If their life-support system fails, they'll suffocate."

Jeremy suppressed a shudder as he thought about his father and the four other miners who'd died slow, painful deaths deep underground.

"Do we know how many people are inside?" Waverly asked.

Jeremy adjusted the frequency on the transponder. "No, but I'll see if there's a way to communicate with them."

After a few moments of static, a voice came through the speakers. "Mayday... mayday... This is Neva Station Alpha... do you read?'

Natalie pressed a button on the captain' control panel on her chair. "This is Squadron 20. We're here to take you home."

"Thank goodness," the voice said, trembling slightly. Jeremy stared at the speaker, startled by how real it all sounded, and wondered if i was prerecorded or if someone at the Academy was pretending to be a stranded scientist. "There are twelve of us on board, and oxygen is running low."

"Approaching Neva." Waverly gestured toward a small bluish green sphere in the distance.

"Jeremy, will we be able to dock?" Natalie asked.

Jeremy pulled up a schematic of the research station. "No.. our craft's too big to dock. We'll need to make a few trips." 

Waverly cursed under her breath. "That's going to take forever.

"Yeah, well, sometimes saving lives takes time," Jeremy snapped, then immediately regretted it. They were all feeling the strain right now, but taking it out on one another was the worst thing they could do. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Besides, Squadron 7 will also have to make multiple trips. We have time."

As they approached, Neva grew larger until they couldn't see anything other than bluish-green gas. "Whoa.. that storm is massive," Natalie said, pointing at the violent-looking swirl that made the planet look like a roiling ocean.

"There's the research station," Waverly called. "I'll get as close as I can, but we can't risk getting too close to the storm." The words were barely out of her mouth before the simulcraft began to rattle. "Okay.. I guess we'll wait here."

Jeremy dispatched the rover, which he'd programmed to dock at the research station. they watched it appear on the screen, then grow smaller as it descended toward the planet.

Natalie issued instructions to the head of the research station, and a few minutes later, the rover reappeared with its four virtual passengers. The simulcraft shook again, more violently this time. "The storm's moving toward us," Wynonna said. "If we don't leave now, we risk disabling our ship."

"We can't leave now. We've rescued only four people," Jeremy insisted, feeling slightly breathless as he imagined suffocating to death in an abandoned research station slowly sinking into a gas giant. "We'll fail the mission if we leave the rest behind."

"We'll also fail if we all die," Waverly said, her fingers turning white as she gripped the controls.

The simulcraft shook again, and Jeremy felt his harness dig into his skin. "Waverly's right," Natalie said grimly. "This is the best we're going to do. It's time to head back."

Jeremy glanced over his shoulder at Natalie. "Wouldn't rescuing more people increase our score? Maybe that's part of the mission. It could be some kind of ethical test."

"If it's an ethical text, then we definitely shouldn't try to rescue the remaining scientists," Wynonna said coolly. "It's a reckless waste of time. What if everyone on the station dies because we weren't strong enough to leave a few people behind? Saving four lives is always preferable to losing sixteen."

"There's no time," Waverly called. "If Squadron 7 finishes the mission first, they'll win. Is that what you want? To let them automatically continue on to the second year instead of us? Because I sure as hell don't."

"Hold on," Jeremy said as a plan took shape in his mind. "What if we tether the research station to our ship and tow it back to the base? Then we won't have to leave anyone behind."

"How bad is the storm," Natalie asked. "Will we be able to make it to the station and then escape the atmosphere?"

Wynonna leaned forward to look at the radar. "Possibly. Our ship can withstand more damage than the rover."

Natalie stared into the distance for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, let's do it. Waverly, set a course for the research station."

Without responding, Waverly took the ship into a deep dive. The rattling grew more intense , and the lights in the simulcraft began to flicker. the research station came into view. It had lost power and was drifting toward the eye of the storm.

"Jeremy, initiate tethering!" Natalie shouted over the din.

The ship tilted to the side, and Jeremy winced as his harness dug deeper into his skin. "I'm not sure this is going to work," Waverly said through gritted teeth. "I can't keep the ship steady enough to tether."

"Yes, you can," Natalie said. "This is nothing compared to what I've seen you do."

To Jeremy's relief, the encouragement seemed to work, and a moment later, the research station was locked to their ship. A prompt came up on Jeremy's screen, asking if he wanted to take control of the station's systems. He pressed yes, then adjusted the ship's life-support settings to make sure oxygen would flow through the tethering mechanism. "We're good to go," he called to Waverly. "Let's get out of here."

They shot forward, and the rattling increased until Jeremy could feel his bones being jolted out of place. Then all went still and quiet. "Take it away, Waverly," Natalie said. "Don't worry about conserving fuel. Let's just make up for lost time."

"Come on, come on," Waverly whispered as she pushed the ship to maximum speed. No one else spoke until the virtual image of the Academy appeared in the distance. It didn't sound like anyone was even breathing. The bay door opened, and Waverly guided the ship into the dock.

'Mission complete' flashed across the screen. But still no one spoke. If Squadron 7 had also somehow managed to rescue the scientists and make it back sooner, they'd win the tournament.

"Congratulations, Squadron 20. You've received the high score for this mission."

Waverly's joyful scream filled the simulcraft as she leapt from her seat. "We did it!" she shouted, throwing her arms around Natalie before embracing Wynonna and finally Jeremy.

"I'm sorry," she said. It was hard to tell if she was laughing or crying.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Jeremy said, squeezing Waverly's hand.

"I'll be less obnoxious next year, I promise." Behind her, Natalie said something about not making promises you can't keep, but this time Waverly ignored her ribbing.

'Next year.' Jeremy grinned at the thought, and as if reading his mind, Waverly did the same, her eyes filling with tears as she squeezed his hand in return.


	25. Waverly

Waverly didn't care that she kept bumping into people and walls; she couldn't stop looking down at her uniform badge as she half walked, half ran down the corridor toward the residential wing.

_Waverly Gibson_

_Pilot_

_Squadron 20_

_Rank: 1st_

They'd actually done it. They'd won the tournament, and now all four of them were guaranteed to stay on at the Academy.

"Congrats, Waverly!" an older cadet called as she passed.

"Thanks!" she said, still barely able to look up.

"Well done!" A girl Waverly knew from her old school patted her on the arm as she passed.

"Thank you," she said, tearing her eyes away from her badge just long enough to flash the girl a smile. She sped up, walking as quickly as she could without breaking into a run. Word was clearly spreading fast, and she wanted to be the one to tell Champ the good news. She'd thought about messaging him, but she was eager to see the pride and excitement in his face. Despite their slightly strained dinner the other night, she knew he'd be thrilled for her.

As she entered the residential wing, Waverly forced herself to slow down and walk normally. With dignity. And with as much modesty as she could muster. She knew there were people who'd want to chalk her win up to nepotism, and she couldn't risk giving them any additional reasons to resent her. But as she rounded the bed that led to Champ's suite, her excitement got the better of her, and she broke back into a run.

Breathless, she pressed the buzzer next to the door, and about thirty seconds later, the door hissed open. "We did it!" she squealed, throwing her arms around Champ. "We won!"

"That's awesome, Wave." He patted her on the back, the let go to lean against the wall.

"Let's go inside," she said. "I want to give you the play-by-play."

"You know, now's not a great time. I think a few of my roommates are sleeping, and I need to finish that history paper before dinner." He must've seen the hurt and confusion in her face because he smiled and said, "Come on don't look at me like that. You know I want to hear all about it. Can't we talk later?" He smiled again, this one slightly stiffer than before.

"Why are you acting like this? What's wrong?"

He sighed and rubbed his temples in a gesture that made him look somehow older and wearier. "Nothing. I'm trying my best to be happy for you. I really am. But you also have to understand that while you're prancing around as princess of the Academy, I'm trying to deal with the fact tat I'm completely screwed."

"What are you talking about?" She placed her hand on his arm, but he jerked away.

"My squadron came in eighth," he said with exaggerated patience. "There's only so much you can do as captain when half your team is barley literate."

Waverly recoiled as surprise and disgust curled her stomach. "What the hell, Champ? Do you know how ridiculous you sound?"

"No, I don't. I'm sick of this shit. I'm tired of pretending like we're all equal. Just because the administration was bullied into changing the policy doesn't mean that the Edgers are any smarter than they were before. They don't belong here, and we all know it. Why is everyone afraid to speak the truth?"

"No," she said slowly, as her disgust began to bubble into anger. "They didn't suddenly become smarter. They've always been as smart as we are. We were just to dumb to realize it. Of course they belong here, Champ."

"When did you turn into some brainwashed pawn repeating what you've been told? You might be too much of a coward to say it, but I'm not." His lips twisted into a sneer, transforming the face she knew so well into one she barely recognized. "The Edgers need to go home."

Waverly stared at him as a realization swept through her, chasing the anger away and leaving only cold horror in its wake. "It was you, wasn't it? You wrote that message."

A tiny, naïve, hopeful part of her prayed that he'd den it, that he'd look so hurt by the accusation, she'd know she'd made a terrible mistake. But instead he shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. "What does it matter? It's not like it made any kind of difference. The Edgers are still here, aren't they?"

"You're disgusting." Waverly spun around and strode off, walking with as mush assurance as she could muster given the waves of shock and fury slamming into her from all directions. How could Champ have done something like that? Champ. The boy who sent her sweet messages before bed. The boy who'd spend countless hours at her house, the boy her parents adored. The boy who came up with silly nicknames and loved kissing her. She braced for the pain, waiting for that searing jolt to her chest, but it never came. She felt stung and disgusted by his betrayal, but not heartbroken they way she'd expected.

'He can't get away with this,' she though as her resolve hardened, sending new strength through her trembling body. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

"Waverly?" Admiral Gibson rose from her chair and surveyed her daughter with a combination of confusion and pleasure. Waverly never dropped by her mother's office unexpectedly. "I just heard the good news. Congratulations, pilot," she said as she walked around her desk and perched on the edge. "Everything okay?"

"Champ was the one one who wrote the graffiti in the hallway," Waverly said, cutting straight to the point.

"Champ what?" her mother said, more startled than Waverly had ever seen her. Michelle Gibson was famous for her icy composure; every schoolchild in the solar system had seen the iconic photo of her on one of Ginus' rocky moons, calmly speaking into her link as a massive explosion sent her rover flying into the air behind her.

"Champ was the idiot who wrote GO HOME EDGERS. Though maybe I'm the idiot for thinking that I loved him." She slumped into one of the uncomfortable chairs next to the desk, defying her mother to tell her to sit up straight.

"What makes you suspect that Camp is the culprit?"

Waverly stared at her mother incredulously. "Are you kidding me? Because he told me he did it."

She waited for her mother to snap into action, summoning Champ to her office or calling an emergency session of disciplinary committee. But she simply sighed an rubbed her temples. "That wasn't the smarted move."

"It was disgusting," Waverly said, frustration mounting. "And obviously a violation of about a dozen different Academy rules. You're going to expel him, right?"

"Expel him?" he mother repeated. "Are you really asking me to expel your boyfriend?"

"He's obviously not my boyfriend anymore," Waverly said, narrowing her eyes. "And he can't stay here."

"Listen, Waverly..." Admiral Gibson stood wearily and returned to her chair behind her desk. "I know this is upsetting. But I don't think expelling Champ is the answer. Everyone has moved on from the incident, and I'm hesitant to stir up tension again. I'll talk to Champ so it's clear that this behavior is unacceptable. But making an example out of him will just make everything worse."

Waverly's head spun as she stared at her mother in disbelief. "You're just going to let it slide? He wrote GO HOME EDGERS on Academy property. What kind of message does that send?"

Above them, one of the moons in the holographic map of the solar system turned red. Admiral Gibson glanced at it, and her face hardened. "I know to cadets the Academy can seem like the most important thing in the world but it's just a tiny piece of a much bigger picture. We're in the middle of a war, and my job is to cultivate talent and develop the next generation of Fleet officers capable of protecting our kind. Champ is a gifted cadet, and we can't afford to get rid of him because he made one stupid mistake. That's why you're all here. To learn."

Waverly stood up, trembling with anger, but when she spoke, her voice was steady. "If this is how we treat one another, then we might have to ask ourselves as some point if we're worth saving." She spun around and walked to the door, ignoring her mother's call for her return.

"This is complete bullshit," Waverly though as she strode through the corridor, ignoring everyone who waved or tried to catch her eye. Everything she'd been told about the Academy had been a lie. There was no honor code. No one was looking for "cadets with character." And her mother couldn't have cared less about Champ's frankly mediocre captain skills. All she cared about was saving face with everyone back on Purgatory and not upsetting influential civilians like Champ's parents.

There was only one person she could bear o look at right now. One person who'd never lied to her or suck up to her. One person who'd understand fury and confusion battling with her.

And she knew exactly where to find her.


	26. Nicole

"I'd like to propose a toast," Robin said, raising his voice over he din. Nicole, Jeremy, Wynonna, Rosita, and Waverly's friend Perry had gathered in the common room to celebrate Squadron 20's win, and someone, Nicole wasn't sure who, had convinced and attendant to bring over fancy refreshments. Robin lifted a glass of deep red pinkberry juice. "Unity and prosperity."

"Unity and prosperity!" everyone echoed.

"And of course, to Squadron 20." Robin grinned at Jeremy, who turned slightly pink.

"To Squadron 20!" Nicole and the others repeated joyfully. Well, most of the others. Perry's smile struck Nicole as slightly forced, but it was clear he was trying to be a good sport about the whole thing. He'd come to congratulate Waverly, but no one had seen her since they'd left the simulcraft.

It was about an hour before dinner, and the circadian lights had begun to dim, creating a twilight effect in the common room. The glasses scattered on the small tables glinted in the warm light of the lamps, giving the room a cozy atmosphere that Nicole hadn't though possible in space. Hell, she hadn't realized she'd even know the word cozy until this moment. But apparently, it had been lying dormant deep in her brain, waiting for the right moment to pop out.

"I'd like to propose a toast," Jeremy called from the couch, where he was seated with Robin's arm around him. He raised his glass. "To Natalie, for her leadership, quick thinking, and composure under pressure."

"To Natalie!" the others echoed.

Nicole hoped the dim light concealed the blush rising in her cheeks. 'Natalie would've loved this', she thought.

"And to Jeremy," Wynonna said, raising her glass. She was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the couch, looking more relaxed than Nicole had ever seen her. "For coming up with an ingenious solution."

They all clincked glasses again, and Jeremy reached down to squeeze Wynonna's shoulder.

"What happened next?" Rosita asked, looking from Wynonna to Nicole. "I bet Natalie saved the day." She smiled at Nicole, and a remote part of her brain registered that she was hitting on her. But it was like hearing music in a distant room, music that was quickly overpowered but a louder, soaring tune that she thought about the person who'd actually saved the day.

As they frantically tried to escape the methane storm, Nicole had pretty much forgotten that it was a simulation. They all had. The only one who hadn't seemed rattled was Waverly. With the engine failing and the craft rumbling, she still managed to pilot the craft to safety, her hands moving across the controls so quickly, she didn't have time to wipe the sweat dripping down her face. Even in the midst of the chaos, Nicole realized she'd never looked more beautiful.

"Do you know where Waverly is?" she asked Perry.

She thought she'd done a good job keeping her voice casual, but the Purgatorian's smile suggested otherwise. "I don't know. But I'm sure your pilot will return to you soon. Nothing to worry about, Captain."

Robin shot Perry a warning look, and Nicole felt her cheeks grown even warmer. Was she some kind of joke to the Purgatorians? The poor, delusional Titinian who foolishly though she had a chance with the admiral's daughter? She wanted to tell them they had it all wrong. yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't chase away the image of Waverly in the simulcraft.

"When do you find out about the real mission?" Sola asked, sounding both envious and apprehensive.

"I'm not sure," Jeremy said. "I don't really understand it. They let us take a real ship out? Is that a good idea?"

"It's fine," Perry said with a dismissive wave. "You'll go out for twenty minutes, pick up some easy to find item that's been left for you, and fly right back. The hardest part will be docking, though I suppose that's Waverly's responsibility-- oh, look, here's the lady of the hour!"

Nicole turned to see Waverly striding toward them. She was in uniform, and her long dark hair was still damp with sweat. But all Nicole would focus on was her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes glowed with determination and something else, an expression that had grown less familiar to her during the past few weeks... fury.

"Are you okay?" she said, rising to her feet.

"I need to talk to you."

Before she had time to respond, she'd grabbed her hand and was pulling her toward the door, unbothered by the confused stares and whispers they left in their wake.

"What's going on?" Nicole asked as the common room door shut behind them. The corridor was empty, as most of the other cadets were changing for dinner. But Waverly didn't seem to care one way or the other. She recognized her expression from their first few interactions and knew that when she was in this mode all that matter was carrying out her mission.

She fixed her with such an intense stare that, for a moment, she assumed her rage was directed at her. "I just found out that Champ's an asshole," she said, her voice steady despite the slightly manic gleam in her eyes. "And my mom's a bigger asshole.

"You're only realizing this now?" she asked, cringing at the memory of Admiral Gibson's patronizing jabs.

"Everyone here is a fraud." Her voice grew quieter as she stepped closer. "Everyone except for you."

"What are you talking about? What' wrong?"

"It was Champ who wrote the graffiti, and my mother refuses to do anything about it."

"Champ?" Nicole repeated. Frankly, she was surprised the kid knew how to spell Edge without someone coaching him. "Your boyfriend?"

"Not anymore." She cringed, and some of the fury faded from her face. For the first time, she looked almost fragile. "I can't believe I was so stupid."

Without thinking, Nicole reached out and took her hand. "You're many thing, Waverly Gibson, but you're not stupid. How could you have possibly know he'd do that?"

She stared at their hands, but to Nicole's surprise, she didn't pull away. "I might've known if I'd ever though about it. He was so clearly the boy I was supposed to date that I never took the time to think about who he really was."

She closed her eyes and winced. "I wanted to do everything right. I wanted to be impressive."

"You're much more impressive without that idiot, believe me," Nicole said, trying to make her smile. It didn't work. She looked so sad, so hut, that she was forced to use a different tactic. Sincerity. "Listen, Waverly, you don' need to worry about impressing people. Everything you do is remarkable whether you realize it or not."

She stared at her for a long moment as something shifted in her face.

Then with her trademark assurance, she kissed her.

It came as such a shock that at first Nicole could barley move. But as Waverly's lips pressed against hers, instinct kicked in. She leaned against the wall for balance, wrapped her arm around Waverly's waist, and kissed her back. Waverly sank into her, and she tightened her hold to steady her. She'd kissed a fair number of girls before, but it had never felt like this. There was no fumbling no wondering what to do next. It was like her lips had already memorized the shape of her mouth and she couldn't keep them from seeking out their favorite spots. Everything about her felt both familiar and electrifyingly new at the same time.

She tilted her head and kissed her cheek before trailing down to her neck. 

Waverly let out a gasp, her breath tickling Nicole's face as she held onto her. It was too much for her to take, and without thinking, Nicole wrapped her other arm around her, giving in to her body's desperation to be as close to Waverly as possible.

 _"Erratic heart rate and blood flow detected,"_ her monitor droned in her ear.

"Dismiss," Nicole whispered.

"You want to stop?" Waverly asked, pulling away with a smile.

"Definitely not" She placed her hand under her chin and tilted her head up to his her again.

"If your monitor is telling you to rest, you should probably take a break."

"Don't make me issue an order, pilot." She placed her hand on her hip and gently pulled Waverly toward her.


	27. Wynonna

"Are you nervous?" Jeremy whispered as he and the rest of Squadron 20 followed Admiral Gibson across the launchport toward the ship they'd be using for their mission.

"Slightly," Wynonna said, though the anxiety eating away at her stomach lining had nothing to do with their short flight outside the Academy. It had been weeks since she'd sent the coordinates, and with each passing day, her guilt had grown more overpowering. It had all seemed so simple when she'd first arrived, full of the excitement and relief that came with successfully infiltrating the academy. She was living among the enemy-- the next generation of killers being trained to attack her people and colonize her planet. It didn't matter that the cadets were being lied to, tricked into believing that the Revenants attacked unprovoked. Whatever the Fleets motivation, they were being taught to kill Revenants and had to be stopped.

Yet the knowledge that a Revenant ship was on its way to destroy the academy now left her in a constant state of nausea. Hundreds of cadets, including her friends, were going to die because of her.

And then there was Doc. Being in the ocean tank with him had been the happiest she'd felt since leaving Ghost River. She'd replayed their kiss hundreds of times in her head, and it never failed to make her whole body tingle. But then she'd remind herself that everyone at the Academy he was the best equipped to discover the truth about her If she wanted to survive until the Revenants extracted her, she'd have to keep her distance.

"Don't be nervous! This is going to be killer." Natalie was practically bouncing up and down in contrast to Jeremy, who'd gone quiet and serious, nodding at everything Admiral Gibson said. Wynonna waiting for Waverly to snap into leader mode and start giving advice, but she seemed strangely subdued, smiling but speaking less than usual.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the inside of the ship looked exactly like the simulcraft. Except that the view out the windows was real, so instead of simulated stars, all they could see were the walls of the launchport. As they took their seats, Jeremy closed his eyes and inhaled deeply while Waverly and Natalie exchanged excited smiles.

"You all look very much at home," Admiral Gibson said, surveying them with approval. "Now, this operation is going to be easy, especially compared with the battles you completed in the simulcraft. Earlier today, we launched a satellite into orbit. All you need to do is locate the satellite on your radar, set a course to retrieve it, and then return to the Academy. The entire process should take less than a hour. Your instructor will be monitoring your progress from the command center, and help is standing by in case anything goes wrong." Wynonna felt her stomach fluttering as she imagined Doc in the command center along with their other instructors, watching with pride as she set off on the mission. "Any questions?"

"We've got this," Natalie said, flashing a grin at her sqaudmates.

"I leave it up to you, captain," Admiral Gibson said. "Good luck." She placed her hand on Waverly's shoulder, then strode out.

"Squadron 20, this is mission control." A voice crackled through the speakers. "You're cleared for launch whenever you're ready."

"Everyone ready?" Waverly asked. She cracked her knuckles, the rolled her shoulders.

"Ready," Jeremy said from his seat. The tremor had disappeared from his voice. He was all focus.

"Ready," Wynonna called. Although she didn't care much about impressing any instructors other than Doc, this outing would provide some welcome distractions. The busier she was, the less time she'd have to wonder when the Revenants would arrive to destroy the Academy.

"All set there, Captain?" Waverly called to Natalie.

"All set."

Wynonna waited for her to add something flippant, but it never came. She glanced over and saw her swallow, drumming the arms of her chair as she stared straight ahead.

When the countdown reached zero, the usual mission commence message appeared on the screen. But this time, the windows didn't automatically fill with simulated stars. First, they had to wait for the automated tracks to guide the ship to the edge of the dock.

"End autopilot mode," Waverly said.

_"Autopilot mode disengaged."_

Out of the corner of her eye, Wynonna saw Waverly ease back the throttle and ten they were airborne.

Jeremy let out a whoop as the Academy grew smaller behind them and the stars grew brighter. "We're really doing this!"

"Heck yeah we are," Waverly said. Wynonna couldn't see her face, but she could hear the smile in her voice. Good, she thought. She wanted her friends to enjoy themselves as much as possible before... Wynonna couldn't complete the morbid thought.

"Jeremy, are we ready to switch into full speed?" Natalie asked.

"All systems go," 

"Wynonna, any obstacles in our way?"

She checked the radar again just to make sure. "All clear."

"Take it away, Waverly."

Their seats began to shake slightly as Waverly activated the thrusters. "This is awesome!" Natalie called. Even without turning to look at her, Wynonna could tell she'd started to relax.

After a few minutes, they fell into their usual rhythm, speaking in the shorthand they'd developed after spending countless hours in the simulcraft together. The cabin filled with sounds that had become as familiar to Wynonna as her own breath; Jeremy muttering to himself, the click of Waverly's jaw as she clenched her teeth in concentration, the tap of Natalie's food as she called out instructions.

"How much farther?" Natalie asked.

Wynonna leaned in closer to the radar screen. "It's less than another twenty minutes." It was a little disappointing that they mission turned out to be so short. She had no interest in returning to the Academy and facing the excruciating fate that awaited her.

"Excellent." Behind her, she heard Natalie crack her knuckles, "As easy as dust cake."

"As easy as dust cake?" Waverly repeated. "What does that mean?"

"You've never heard that expression?" Natalie said incredulously.

"It's 'as easy as sugar cake.'"

"Yeah, well, we don't have a lot of sugar on Titan. Or cake, for that matter. the only thing that's easy to procure is dust. Hence the saying."

Despite her anxiety, Wynonna smiled. At some point over the past few weeks, their banter had started to feel almost comforting.

They located the satellite easily, and Jeremy used the command codes they'd been given to access the satellite's maneuvering thrusters and guide it into their hold.

"All right then, pilot," Natalie said with a grin. "Take us home."

As Waverly turned the ship back toward the Academy, Wynonna noticed something on the radar moving n their direction. She watched it closely for a moment, and a chill passed through her. "No," she whispered as she activated the scanner, focusing the laser beam that allowed them to measure the size and shape of potential obstacles.

"Everything okay, Wynonna?" Waverly called, glancing at Wynonna over her shoulder.

Wynonna's eyes were fixed on the screen, but she couldn't speak. All she could do was stare at the startlingly familiar shape on the screen. "No," she thought.. 'it's too soon.'

"What's gong on over there, Wynonna?" Wynonna asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Jeremy swiveled his chair around and leaned toward her.

"What the hell is that?" Waverly snapped.

Wynonna tore her gaze from the radar to follow Waverly's pointed finger out the window. The same shape that she'd seen on the screen loomed in the distance, growing larger by the second.

"It can't be..." Natalie said hoarsely. Wynonna could picture the expression on her face without turning around. The look of someone watching her childhood nightmare come to life. For while the large ship hurtling toward them looked perfectly normal to Wynonna, to Natalie and the others, it was an image that conjured pure terror.

An enormous Revenant battleship.

"That's impossible," Jeremy said, as if he could make the ship disappear through the power of logic. "This is a safe zone. The Fleet patrols the perimeter. There's no way the Revenant could penetrate it."

"Everyone relax. It has to be some kind o trick, like the storm from our last battle." Natalie's voice was steady and assured, but Wynonna could sense a note of fear.

"That was in a simulcraft. They can't create an illusion in space," Waverly said, eyes still locked on the ship. It was so close, it now took up most of the window. She pressed a red button on the dashboard. "Academy command, do you read?" There was nothing but static. "Mayday, mayday, Academy command, do you read?" The static grew louder. Waverly slammed her hand on the dashboard. "Shit. It's not working."

 _'They've scrambled the communications,_ Wynonna realized as panic swelled in her chest. Instinctively, her hand went to the transponder in her uniform pocket. It wasn't connected to their ship's network, so it might still work. And since they were outside the Academy, she'd finally be able to send an outgoing message.

"Can you tell where it's headed, Wynonna?" Natalie asked more anxiously than before.

Wynonna didn't have to check the radar screen to give her answer; she knew exactly where it was going. "The Academy."

"What do we do?" Waverly asked, eyes growing wide as she looked from one squadmate to the next.

"We have to warn the command center," Jeremy ordered. "Waverly, try again."

Waverly slammed the red button again. "Academy command, come in... come in, Academy command..." Her voice cracked, but there was nothing filling the silence except static.

Jeremy leapt from his seat and reached over to Waverly to press the button himself. "The Revenants are coming for you. You need to do something!" he shouted "Come on! he spun around and collapsed back into his chair. "They're going to kill everyone," he said with a gasp.

Just then Wynona saw the ship change course on the radar screen, It was headed toward them. They've seen us," she said, fear coursing through her.

_"warning... warning... incoming projectile detected, Prepare for impact in 15... 14... 13..."_

"They're shooting at us," Jeremy said more to himself than the others. He'd gone pale and was staring straight ahead frozen. "They're shooting at us, and we're going to die."

He was right. Their ship with its small payload of missiles was no match for the enormous Revenant battleship. It would destroy them and the continue on its path to the Academy. By the time Admiral Gibson and the other officers realized what was happening and armed the school's fleet, it would be too late. The Academy would be wiped out.

Wynonna reached into her pocket for the transponder. She never though she'd dare risk letting anyone else see it, but her squadron was too fixated on the ship to notice.

 _Call off the attack. I'm on the ship,_ she wrote.

"Like hell we are," Natalie muttered. "Waverly, get us out of here."

On it. Hold on, everyone," she called as she took the ship into and inverted dive that took them just outside the missile's path.

Wynonna's stomach leapt into her throat, and she closed her eyes. When the dizziness subsided, she looked back down at her transponder.

_The ship has received orders not to fire on you again. Keep a safe distance from the Academy, and the crew will retrieve you after the target is destroyed._

We need to launch our won attack," Natalie said, her voice growing steadier. "It's our only chance. Jeremy, prepare the missiles. Waverly prepare to fire."

"No." The word tore through Wynonna's throat before she had time to stop it.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Natalie barked. "The order stands."

Jeremy's fingers flew across the controls as he scrolled through a series of symbols that were completely indecipherable to Wynonna. "Missiles activated," he said, sounding strangely calm, as if he'd convinced himself he was back in the simulator.

"Okay, Waverly, fire at will."

"Wait," Wynonna called out. "We don't need to fire.. They're turned around."

Waverly leaned forward for a better view. "I think they're headed toward the Academy again."

While everyone stared at the Revenant ship, Wynonna reached for her transponder again.

 _I'm not the pilot,_ Wynonna wrote desperately. _I can't make them keep a safe distance._

A moment later, a response appeared. _You've been trained for this situation. Take control of the ship._

Wynonna knew exactly what that meant-- she'd been taught multiple ways to render an opponent unconscious.

"We have to stop them," Jeremy said hoarsely as he stared out the window in horror. Wynonna watched as Waverly clenched her jaw and gripped the controls tighter just as she'd done countless times before.

"We will," Natalie said. "Waverly, fire."

Wynonna held her breath as the missile tore through the darkness toward the Revenant ship. "That's a hit," Natalie said more to herself than the others. "It has to be."

But Wynonna knew it wasn't. The Revenant's shield system was too advanced for this type of missile. That's why the attacks on the Fleet had been so deadly; the fleet simply didn't have weapons that could bring down a Revenant ship.

They watched as the missile made contact only to crack and shatter into a thousand useless pieces.

"Try again," Natalie ordered. "We might've damaged the shield. It could work next time. We have to keep trying."

"They're getting closer to the Academy," Waverly said, panic fraying her voice. "How much time do we have?"

Wynonna swallowed. "Depending on what kind of weapon they're using, they'll be in range in about six minutes." But she knew exactly what kind of weapon they Revenants would be using, and if the squadron didn't figure out a way to sop them in less than two minutes, every single person in the Academy would die.

"Okay, let's try this again." Waverly yanked back on the throttle and the ship surged forward.

"You can't fire at this close a range," Natalie warned. She was gripping the sides of her chair so tightly, her arms had started shaking. "We'll blow ourselves up."

"Don't worry, I've got this," Waverly said. She released the weapon, then took he sip into another steep dive. But there was no explosion to avoid, as once again, the missile was deflected by the shield.

_Incapacitate the pilot. That is an order._

Wynonna closed her eyes as she visualized what it would take to seize the controls from Waverly. She'd have to snap her neck or strangle her until she passed out all while keeping Jeremy and Natalie at bay. Despite her raining, she recoiled in horror at the thought of wrapping her hands around Waverly's throat. She couldn't do it.

 _I'm with three of them,_ she wrote back. _They won't let me incapacitate the pilot._

"They're all going to die," Jeremy said in an anguished whisper that send a jolt of pain through Wynonna's chest.

_I'm ordering you to proceed._

Wynonna's breath caught in her chest as icy terror swept through her. This was it. She was going to die. Either her squadron's ship would be destroyed in the blast, or the Revenants would execute her for not following orders.

"We need a stronger weapon," Waverly called, as if speaking the words aloud were enough to will the weapon into existence.

"We just have to keep trying. How much longer do we have?" Natalie asked.

"About four minutes," Wynonna whispered, unable to hide her growing horror. If they continued to shoot at the Revenant ship, it would destroy them. But if they did nothing, they were moments away from watching everyone in the Academy die.

"It's no going to work," Jeremy snapped. "We need to try something else."

Natalie slammed her fist against the armrest of her chair. "We don't have anything else."

"Wait.. yes we do," Jeremy said. "We can use the satellite."

"How would that work?" Waverly asked, twisting around to look over her shoulder while Natalie sat straighter in her chair.

"It's a communications satellite, so if we set it to the same frequency as the Revenant ship, we might be able to jam their communications system. They'll lose navigational control and won't be able to shoot at us or the Academy."

"Can we really do that?" Waverly asked, looking frantically from Jeremy to the black windowless Revenant ship. "The satellite is still in the cargo bay."

Jeremy nodded. "We should still have full access to the satellite's systems from when we accessed the thrusters."

The hope in his voice cut into Wynonna like a knife. The Revenants used a spread spectrum, so there was no single frequency to jam.

"We'll try it," Natalie said quickly. "We've got nothing to lose. Jeremy, open the cargo bay doors and vent the atmosphere. That'll push the satellite out."

"Okay.. opening."

There was a grinding sound, and through the viewport, Wynonna saw the satellite tumbling end over end, covered in glimmering icicles.

"Hold on..." Jeremy's hands flew across the controls, and the satellite's maneuvering thrusters fired silently, slowly turning it to the proper orientation. "Okay.. I'm going to start trying different frequencies. Let me know if anything happens."

There was a long moment of tense silence. "I don't think it's working," Waverly said finally, eyes locked on the Revenant ship. "It's still heading toward the Academy."

'Tell them' Wynonna though. 'You have to tell them it's not going to work so they have time to get out of the blast range.

Jeremy cursed under his breath. "I can't think of any other options," he said "One of these should've worked."

"Keep trying," Waverly clenched her jaw and gripped the controls tighter. "I'll make sure we're in position to fire."

"I think we should turn around," Wynonna said. "They could fire at us again at any moment. It's not--"

"No," Natalie said sharply. "We're not turning around."

"We're running out of time!" Waverly shouted. "It loos like they're preparing to fire."

'No, please' Wynonna willed silently. She couldn't do it. She couldn't watch everyone in the Academy die. But the only way to stop the Revenants was to tell her squadron about the frequency... something no on in the Fleet could possibly know. And if it worked, it would disable the battlecraft's shield in addition to taking out navigational power. Her squadron would be bale to destroy the ship easily.

"We have to do something," Jeremy said, voice cracking.

Wynona tried to imagine the Revenants on the ship. Was it a crew she knew from the base? Her stomach lurched as she imagined the young soldiers on their first real mission, carrying out an operation that would help them save their doomed people. Could she really risk their lives to save the Fleet? But the Wynonna imagined Waverly's cries of anguish as she realized her mother and all her friends had perished. She winced at the thought of Jeremy's heartbreak over Robin. She though about Doc, and Rosita, and all the others who'd showed her only kindness, and her resolve hardened.

"I think they might be using a spread spectrum," Wynonna said quietly. 'We might have to use directed energy pulse that saturates all frequencies."

"That's it!" Natalie said eagerly." Jeremy, can you--"

"I'm on it," Jeremy called back.

The satellite had finished rotating and was now pointed directly at the Revenant ship. There was no bright discharge of light or firing missiles. Just a silent confirmation on their screens that the signal was being blasted at full power.

"Please... come on," Jeremy breathed.

"They've stopped moving," Waverly said. "I think it worked."

It was over. Wynonna had signed her own death sentence. Either the Fleet would execute her as a spy, or her own people would execute her as a traitor. She tried to take a deep breath, but she couldn't force the air into her lungs.

Natalie craned her neck to look at Wynonna's radar screen. "They can't maneuver, but they're still on a direct course for the Academy. In a few minutes, they'll be in range to take out the Academy. It's time to unload everything we've got. Waverly, fire."

The ship shoot as their final volley of missiles shot forward, silently blazing their way toward the Revenant ship.

A moment later, the ship rumbled as the windows filled with surreal, terrifying sight of flames engulfing the Revenant ship. 'I'm so sorry,' Wynonna mouthed as tears filled her eyes, words that would provide little comfort to the Revenants who'd just lost their lives.

The ship jerked violently, then went still, and for a moment, no one spoke. So one seemed to even breathe. And then the cabin filled with joyful cries and sighs of relief. "We did it!" Natalie said, pumping her fist it the air while Jeremy mutter to himself, 'It's okay... We're okay..."

Natalie reached for Wynonna's shoulder. "You're a freaking genius!"

Wynonna stared straight ahead. She couldn't force a smile. She couldn't even look at her squadron. She refused to watch them celebrate the slaughter even if they'd been acting in self-defense. The one comfort was that she wouldn't have to carry this guilt for long. Someone would wonder how she'd known about the multiple frequencies. Questions would follow. It was just a matter of time before someone discovered her secret, and then she'd get the punishment she deserved.

She'd be killed.


	28. Jeremy

"Squadron 20, this is the command center. Do you read?"

A frantic voice crackled through the comm system. It was Admiral Gibson. "Squadron 20, come in."

Jeremy let out a long sigh and rested his head on the control panel. The Revenants had scrambled their communications, but now that the enemy ship was destroyed the systems were back to normal. Everything was going to be okay. They'd done it, and now the adults could take over.

"We read you, command center," Natalie said shakily.

"Oh, thank god," Gibson said, abandoning protocol.

In the background, Jeremy could hear dim chatter. He tried to imagine who was there with the admiral and how many people had been alerted about the attack. Sergeant Pond, surely, and all the deans. At what point would they contact the cadets families? Had someone already gotten in touch with his mother, or was she blissfully unaware that her son had narrowly avoided being blown up by the Revenants?

"Are you all okay? Admiral Gibson asked.

"We're fine. Just let us know the next time you send us to destroy a Revenant ship. Slightly unconventional training method, don't you think?" Natalie's tone was playful, but her face was still drawn from their recent ordeal.

Gibson let out a strangled laugh. "Stay where you are. You're getting an escort back to the Academy."

The transmission ended, and for a moment, no one spoke. Finally, Natalie broke the silence. "That was crazy."

"I can't believe it," Jeremy said hoarsely, speaking aloud for the first time. They'd fought the Revenants. And not only had they survived; they'd saved everyone at the Academy. A few seconds later, and it would've been too late. "They were going to kill everyone."

"But we stopped them," Natalie said with a grin. "No one can beat Squadron 20!"

Waverly cheered, and Jeremy laughed as giddy relief began to spread through his body. He glanced at Wynonna, who was staring straight ahead, silent and unmoving. He didn't think she'd spoken since they'd activated the pulse. She was probably in shock. They all were.

Within a few minutes, they were on their way back, surrounded by three close flying Fleet ships. "I should always arrive at the Academy like this," Natalie said.

"Maybe once, just once, you can try to avoid making an entrance," Waverly shot back with a grin.

"There's no way you can spin this that makes it my fault," Natalie said.

"It's not your fault," Wynonna said quietly without looking at any of them. "None of you are to blame."

"Yeah, we know," Natalie said with a smile as Waverly shot Wynonna a strange look.

Jeremy reached over to place his hand on Wynonna's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, but she didn't make any attempt to remove his hand.

A dock opened as they approached the Academy. Waverly slowed down and steered the ship through the gap without a hitch, an impressive feat of focus and composure considering everything they'd just been through. Jeremy's brain whirred as it struggled to process the enormity of what had happened. Where had the Revenants come from? How had they penetrated the Academy's perimeter? He started compiling a list of questions to ask Admiral Gibson during their inevitable debriefing, but as soon as the hatch opened, it became clear that he'd have to wait.

The launch deck was packed with people, including a group of medics right in front. "Get them to the medical center," a voice ordered, though Jeremy couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"We're fine," Waverly insisted, sidestepping a medic trying to take her vitals.

"Give them some space," another voice ordered; this time it was one Jeremy recognized; Admiral Gibson.

She pulled Waverly into a tight hug, then turned to face the others. "Are you all okay?"

"We're fine. Just a little shaken up," Jeremy said.

"Speak for yourself. I feel fantastic," Natalie said, bouncing in place. The shock had evidently worn off for her, or else it was being transformed into manic energy.

Admiral Gibson shot her a slightly disapproving look while Waverly smiled indulgently. "Let's continue this conversation in my office," Gibson said, gesturing for the cadets to follow her.

As they made their way toward the administration wing, Jeremy scanned the halls for a glimpse of Robin but didn't spot him. None of this would feel entirely real until he got to tell Robin about it.

In any other situation, Jeremy would've found Admiral Gibson's office intimidating. A large ornate wooden desk took up half the room, and above it, a glowing holomap of their solar system hovered in the air. Paintings of former Academy heads lined the walls, and the shelves were full of books with titles like _The Beauty of War_ and _The Vanquished Enemy._ But his encounter with the Revenants had radically changed Jeremy's standard for "intimidating."

Gibson leaned back against her desk and gestured for the others to sit. There weren't enough chairs for everyone, so Waverly remained standing, Along with Sergeant pong and Doc. "Walk me through what happened," Admiral Gibson said without preamble.

The cadets exchanged glances. Jeremy expected Waverly to launch into an explanation, but she nodded at Natalie, signaling her to start.

"Well," she began, sounding slightly nervous. Some of her bravado had faded during the walk to Gibson's office. "We'd just picked up the satellite and were on our way back when the Revenant ship appeared. It seemed like it came out of nowhere."

"You didn't notice anything on the radar?" Gibson asked, lookin at Wynonna.

Wynonna shook her head. "Not until they were already in range."

Doc stared at Wynonna with the same inscrutable expression he sometimes used in class, and she shifted uncomfortably. "We realized they were headed for the Academy," Natalie continued. "When we couldn't get in touch with you, we knew we had to try and take them out ourselves."

Unable to stay quiet any loner, Waverly jumped in. "Our missiles couldn't penetrate the Revenant's shield, so Jeremy came up with a genius plan to use the satellite to jam their communications system.

"Really?" Pond said. "Fascinating. How did you know the right frequency?"

"We didn't," Jeremy explained. "Wynonna guessed that they were using a spread spectrum that allowed them to switch frequencies."

"An impressive guess," Gibson said, surveying Wynonna with a look that Jeremy couldn't quite read. But then her face softened. "I'm proud of all of you," Gibson said before smiling at Waverly. "Very proud." 

Pond look from Doc to Admiral Gibson. "How the hell did the Revenants find us?" he asked gruffly.

"We'll have to look into that later," Admiral Gibson said in a tone that suggested she didn't want to discuss this in front of the cadets. "You four are dismissed. Just try to keep what happened today to yourselves. We don't want to cause alarm until we have a better understanding of the situation."

The cadets nodded and filed out into the corridor. "So what do we do now?" Natalie asked, looking slightly bewildered. "Lunch?"

"You're hungry?" Waverly said, shaking her head with a combination of exasperation and amusement.

"It turns out that killing Revenants gives you one hell of a appetite," she said cheerfully.

Wynonna closed her eyes, and her face contorted with pain. "What's wrong?" Jeremy asked, squeezing her arm.

"Nothing." She said stepped to the side, freeing herself from his grasp. "I'm just tired. I think I should go lie down."

"Are you sure you don't want to eat something first?" Natalie asked, looking at her with concern.

"No, I'm fine. I just want to rest."

Waverly reached toward Wynonna, the thought better of it and let her arm fall to her side. "I'll walk you to your room."

"That's not necessary," she said stiffly, sounding more like the old Wynonna. "I'll see you all later." Without meeting any of their eyes, she strode off unsteadily, clearly walking as quickly as she could on trembling legs.

"Should I go with her?" Waverly whispered.

Jeremy shook his head. "I think she wants to be alone." A sudden wave of fatigue crashed over him, and he tried to estimate how many more steps he'd have to take until he could fall into his own bed. "I think I should probably rest as well."

"Okay, we'll see you tonight," Waverly said, rising onto the balls o her feet to give him a hug. Jeremy smiled at her use of the word we. He wasn't sure what was going on with Waverly and Natalie, but he liked it. And it made him even more eager to find Robin. He'd swear him to secrecy, but he had to tell him what happened.

Jeremy hurried to Robin's room. To Jeremy's relief, he was there, though when Robin opened the door, he looked oddly pale. "Are you okay?" Jeremy asked before realizing how ridiculous that would sound once Robin learned about Jeremy's brush with death.

"Yes, I'm fine. What about you? How'd it go?"

Robin led Jeremy into the living room, where Jeremy gave him the short version, watching Robin grow even paler with every word, "I can't believe it," Robin said hoarsely before pulling Jeremy into a hug.

"Yeah, it was..." Jeremy searched for words that could possibly do justice to the strange swirl of intense emotions that had consumed him since they'd destroyed the Revenant ship. "It was the most terrifying and thrilling few minutes of my entire life." He leaned his head on Robin's shoulder as another wave of fatigue washed over him. "I need to go lie down. Come to my room with me?" He wanted to lay his head against Robin's chest and listen to his heartbeat as he fell asleep.

"I should let you rest," Robin said. His tone was kind, but the words still stung.

"What?" Jeremy asked, looking up. "No, I want you to come with me."

"I know, but you've suffered a massive shock. It's probably better for you to be alone."

Jeremy stared at him incredulously, searching Robin's face for some kind of clue that would explain this strange behavior. "I was thinking about you the whole time," Jeremy said. "Wondering if I'd ever see you again. I don't want to be alone. I want to be with you."

A fleeting look of pain flashed across Robin's face so quickly that Jeremy might've imagined it. "you'll feel better after you rest. Come on. I'll walk you back." Robin stood up and took Jeremy's hand, a gesture that normally filled Jeremy with warmth. But even the pressure of Robin's hand wasn't enough to chase away the chill Jeremy felt seeping through him as they walked down the corridor in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After today, me releasing chapters is going to slow significantly because I'm going to have to start getting ready for my exams. I will still trying and release a chapter every few days, but please bear with me through this.


	29. Waverly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took one out of 3 finals today, next two are tomorrow, but since I passed my lit class I thought it to be a good day to post an update.

At the end of every term, the Academy threw a party for the winning squadron, but Waverly had sneaking suspicion that this celebration would be very different. It had been three days since Squadron 20's mission, and despite her mother's efforts, the Revenant attack was all anyone could talk about.

The party was help in the ballroom, and it seemed even more lavish than the welcome dance at the beginning of the term. The only light came from the hundreds of glass encased candles scattered throughout the large room and the distant stars glinting in the windows. Music and laughter swirled around the elegantly dressed crowd that included the entire faculty, as well as Fleet officers. The Commander himself had made the trip, looking even more dignified than usual in his dress uniform.

"Where's the rest of your squadron?" her mother asked as she swept over to Waverly, her black dress streaming behind her. "The commander wants to congratulate you all."

A thrill of pleasure coursed through her as Waverly rose onto her toes to scan the crowd. "Wynonna and Jeremy are over there," she said. They were by the drinks table, surrounded by people who were clearly bombarding them with questions about the attack. "I'll grab them and bring everyone over to you."

Her mother nodded. "Find us in ten minutes."

As Waverly wove through the mass of cadets and teachers in their finery, nearly every head turned to look at her. If there was ever any doubt that she deserved to be at the Academy, her victory against the Revenants had put it to rest. No one was meant to be here more than she was.

Yet, she had no interest in basking in the glow of victory at the moment. All she wanted was to find Natalie. They still hadn't spoken about the kiss. She'd assumed one of them would bring it up, but they'd been busy with the final battle, and ten the thing with the Revenants had happened. It was all so surreal. Here she was, consumed by a desperate desire to know Natalie's feelings when just three days ago she'd been fairly certain she was about to die. 

The music had grown louder, and a number of people were dancing, some were in groups, some in couples. Waverly made sure to skirt the edge of the open space lest she accidentally get swept up with the dancers. The mere thought of dancing in public made her queasy. For some reason, the coordination that allowed her to dash around the multi-environment track or perform complex maneuvers in the zero gravity room failed her when she had to sway in time to music. She also had a better chance of avoiding Champ if she hovered near the wall. She'd managed to avoid him since their breakup, and while she knew she'd have to face him at some point, she had enough on her mind tonight.

"Not interested in tearing up the dance floor?"

Waverly turned to see Natalie surveying her with an amused smile that made her stomach flutter.

 _I'd rather set myself on fire than dance in front of you,_ she thought. "I figured it'd be rude to intimidate everyone with my superior moves. No one likes a show off."

Waverly nodded seriously. "Yes. I've been meaning to talk to you about that ego of yours. I think you should try to tone it down."

"I'll take that under consideration moving forward. But tonight's about us, and I plan to make the most of it." She extended her hand.

Waverly stared at it warily. "What are you doing?"

"Let's go. I want to see those legendary moves."

"I don't think so," she said, keeping her voice light despite the knot forming in her stomach.

"Come on. Is Miss 'I can destroy a Revenant ship without breaking a sweat' really afraid of dancing?"

"Oh, I definitely broke a sweat."

She leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I know. You never look more beautiful when you're all sweaty in the pilot's seat."

Waverly laughed and swatted her playfully, and it took all her self control not to kiss her right then ad there in front of hundreds of people casting curious glances around the room. Instead, she took her hand and allowed her to lead her onto the dance floor.

"Is this some form of revenge for making your life difficult for so long?" she asked.

Her lips twitched with amusement. "We're about to find out." She placed her hand on her waist and then guided her hand to her shoulder.

Natalie moved easily from side to side in time to the music, steering Waverly back and forth as she shifted. _I must look like such an idiot,_ she thought, cringing as she avoided catching Natalie's eye. But when she stole a glance at her, she was smiling.

She smiled back, and she tightened her hold on her waist, speeding up with the tempo. No matter which way she stepped, she moved her seamlessly with her. She lifted her arm, and without thinking, she spun underneath it, laughing. She twirled her again, faster this time. It was just like flying perfectly synchronized. _Except maybe better_ , she thought as her hand moved from her waist to her lower back. _Definitely better._

"My mom wants us to go talk to the Commander," she whispered, afraid that if she spoke too loudly she'd let go.

"Now?" The music slowed, and Natalie wrapped her arms around her, inclining her head toward hers.

"In a few minutes." She looked up at her, then let out a small laugh. "Though you might want to deal with that stain first."

She glanced down at he small splotch of pink mustard on her shirt and smiled.

"I'll be right back," she whispered in to her ear before letting go.

"I'll meet you over there," she said, gesturing to where he mother was. "I'm just going to grab Wynonna and Jeremy."

Waverly set off again through the crowd, trying to take deep breaths so she'd stop trembling. But before she reached her squadmates, she heard a familiar voice. "Congrats, Wave. I heard you put on quite a show the other day."

As usual, Champ was dressed impeccably, yet tonight nothing about his appearance conveyed elegance. Everything seemed overly pressed and starched, just like the tight smile on his face.

"It wasn't exactly a show," Waverly said. "We prevented a Revenant attack." She knew he was still furious about their breakup, but surely hearing that your ex-girlfriend had save your life would prompt a little bit of gratitude.

"Oh, I know. It must have been terrifying," he said, his voice suddenly full of concern that didn't quite match the look in his eyes. "It's a good thing Natalie decided this mission wasn't a good one to sabotage."

"What are you talking about?"

Champ nodded toward Natalie, who was standing near the drinks table dipping a napkin into a glass of water. "I'm surprised you forgave her. Did she split the money with you?"

Sparks of irritation sizzled in her chest, and she was about to tell Champ to stop wasting her time when he continued. "She bet against your squadron for the first mission. That's why she pretended to be sick, though she probably was pretty hungover; those Edgers tend to drink themselves into oblivion. She won about four hundred according to Steph."

Waverly narrowed her eyes. "This is pretty pathetic. Even for you."

"You think I'm making it up?" Champ sniggered. "Go ask her yourself." 

She hesitated, unsure what would annoy Champ more, dismissing the accusation and staying where she was or going over to Natalie and having her humiliate Champ by denying the whole thing. The second option had the advantage of letting her get away from Champ, so she shot him a fake smile and said, "I'll do it right now."

Although Natalie was facing away from her, she must've been watching out of the corner of her eye, because as Waverly approached, she reached for her hand and pulled her toward her. She smiled as she pressed against her, feeling the tension drain away.

"What did Champ want?" Natalie asked as she and Waverly made their way through the crowd.

"He was just being an idiot," she said, glad o see that her mother had found Wynonna and Jeremy. "He told me this ridiculous story about you throwing our first battle on purpose."

Natalie patted the stain on her shirt with a napkin, and Waverly thought she saw her shoulders tense slightly. "He made that up, right?" she said calmly, ignoring the faint prickle of irritation in her stomach.

"Not completely, no." Natalie shot her an apologetic smile.

"So, it's true? You threw the battle?" She knew she shouldn't get too worked up, since they ended up winning the tournament, but that loss had sent her into a serious downward spiral. Every morning, she'd woken up with a weight on her chest that only grew heavier throughout the day. She'd been so desperate that she'd almost taken plum dust, for heavens sake.

She took a deep breath, trying to cool the anger that had begun to bubble inside her. If Natalie had thrown the battle, it was probably for a good reason. _Show her that you understand,_ she told herself. This was her chance to prove that she wasn't just another rich Purgatorian. "Why?"

"I needed the money," she said.

"Okay. For what?" Waverly asked.

Natalie looked away. "I can't tell you."

"That's convenient," she said, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

She turned back to glare at her. "I don't know what're you're getting upset about," she said testily. "We won the tournament. It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me," Waverly said, her voice cracking. Natalie had had the audacity to waltz into that bathroom and make some bullshit speech about believing in her wen their loss had been al her fault to begin with. "You should have just told me the truth. If I'd known you needed money, I would have understood. Instead, you made me think I wasn't good enough. You knew how insecure I was and you used that against me."

Natalie's face hardened. "You can't blame all your problems on me, Waverly. It's not my fault that you fall apart whenever things aren't perfect."

The fury in her stomach sent waves of heat roiling through her body. "Yeah, you're right. It's not your fault, it's mine. Because I should've known better than to trust someone like you." Without another word, Waverly spun on her heel and strode away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that just finally "kissed' but I'm sorry.. so, so sorry. I just love slow burns... a little too much.. :)


	30. Jeremy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this has taken so long to get out. I have been really busy with getting ready for my first semester at a 2 year.

Jeremy looked around the dining hall with a frown. Robin wasn't at his usual table with his friends, and he wasn't sitting with his squadron either. Jeremy glanced down to check his ling for what felt like the thousandth time that day. Not only had Robin skipped engineering class, he hadn't responded to any of Jeremy's messages.

Ignoring his protesting stomach, he hurried out of the dining hall, nodding at the dozens of people who waved or smiled as he passed. Ever since the attack, Jeremy had be catapulted from the fringes of Academy life into the center, but somehow, he felt lonelier than before. It didn't matter how many new friends he made if Robin wasn't by his side. Jeremy couldn't come up with an explanation for Robin's strange behavior, but he was determined to get to the bottom of it. Tonight.

"Are you okay?" someone called. He turned to see Waverly hurrying toward him. "You didn't stay for dinner."

"Yes, fine," Jeremy said quickly. "I just realized I wasn't very hungry. Are _you_ okay?" He hadn't noticed inside the dining hall, but in the harsh light of the corridor it was clear she wasn't the beaming, bright-eyed girl he'd last seen at the party the evening before. Based on pale skin and bags under her eyes, he wouldn't be surprised to learn she'd been up all night.

"I'm fine," she said, looking away.

"Have you seen Robin?" Jeremy asked, changing the subject. "I haven't been able to find him all day."

"Have you checked the screening room? We had one at out old school and Robin always liked to use it when it was empty, like during dinner."

Jeremy felt a strange, bittersweet ache in his chest as he thought about how many small details like this he still didn't know about Robin. "I'll look there. Thanks, Waves."

She smiled and squeezed his arm. "See you later. Good luck."

He frowned and was about to ask why he'd need luck, but she was already gone.

* * *

He found the screening room easily, though he wasn't surprised he hadn't noticed it before. He'd only ever seen a handful of movies, as watching them wasn't exactly a popular past time back home.

Jeremy placed his student card against the scanner, and the door hissed open. He stepped inside, and in the dim light he could make out three rows of the most comfortable looking chairs he'd ever seen in his life, all facing a screen on which dancing animals seemed to be having some kind of party.

As Jeremy's eye's adjusted to the darkness, he realized the room wasn't actually empty. Someone was sitting in the front row all the way on the side against the wall. Jeremy crept forward to find Jeremy curled up in one of the chairs, lying with his head against the armrest and his long legs draped over the other side. A box of sour worms, his favorite candy, was tucked under his arm. Something in Jeremy's chest cracked, releasing a wave of affection.

"Is that your dinner?" Jeremy asked with a smile as he slid into the seat next to Robin.

"What are you talking about?" Robin said with feigned indignation. "Look at the wide array of nutrients! There's green coloring... blue coloring... a veritable feast."

Despite his playful tone, something about Robin's expression seemed strained. "Where have you been? I was looking for you," Jeremy said gently.

"I wasn't hungry, so I came here." 

Jeremy waited for him to continue with something like _But I was going to message you._ Or _But I was going to come say goodnight before bed_ _._ But Robin returned his attention to the screen. "What are you watching?" Jeremy asked after a long moment.

"You don't know Explorer Friends?" Robin said without looking at Jeremy.

"I don't think we got in on Ginus." 

Robing cringed. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I keep making stupid mistakes like that."

"I don't think I'd call it a mistake." Jeremy took Robin's hand and squeezed. "We're still getting to know each other."

Robin squeezed Jeremy's hang in return, then looked at him with a combination of pain and pity that made Jeremy's stomach feel like it was going to turn over.

"What's going on? Why are you acting like this?"

Robin closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Sorry about what?" Jeremy asked in a strangled voice that didn't sound like his own.

Robin pulled his hand free from Jeremy's grip, and when he opened his eyes, they glistened with tears. "I tried so hard, but it isn't going to work."

"What's not going to work? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Someone told my dad about us. I don' know who, but he's furious."

Jeremy tried to place his hand on Robin's arm, but he shifted out of reach. "I'm sorry," Jeremy said as cold dread began to form around his stomach. "But I guess this was going to happen eventually, right?"

Robin shook his head. "Not like this." He inhaled deeply, as if trying to breathe through intense pain. "He told me he'll pull me out of the Academy unless... unless we break up."

Jeremy stared at Robin, his brain whirring ineffectually, like an overloaded machine. "I don't understand. He can't do that."

Robin let out a bitter laugh. "You don't know him."

"But it's not like he's paying for you to be here." Once they were admitted to the academy, all the cadets' expenses were paid for my the Fleet Federation. "He can't just pull you out of school."

"I know you don't understand what it means to be a general in the Fleet," Robin said wearily. "One call to the Commander, and I'm out."

"Why are you making all these excuses?" Jeremy whispered. Before Robin could respond, the cruelest portion of Jeremy's brain came up with its own explanations.

_Because he never liked you that much to begin with._

_Because he found someone else._

"They're not excuses," Robin said as an edge crept into his voice. "You think I want to do this? It's been killing me."

"So just tell him that we broke up."

"That won't work. Someone will tell my father the truth. I don't have a choice."

The tears that had been welling up in Robin's eyes began to fall down his cheeks. "We don't have a chance."

Robin barely spoke above a whisper, but his words cut into Jeremy like a boiling hot knife slicing his skin and burning everything beneath. "Jeremy, I'm sorry..." Robin reached for Jeremy's hand, but that only made the pain worse. _This is the last time he's going to hold my hand,_ Jeremy thought. A wave of loneliness washed over him, colder than anything he'd ever felt on Ginus. Although Robin was sitting a mere six inches from him, it felt like a chasm had opened between them.

Part of Jeremy understood Robin's position. After all, Jeremy had had a fight tooth and nail to get into the Academy to make a better life for himself. On some level, he certainly got Robin's desire to stay in the Academy to secure a future he too had fought hard for. But that didn't seem to matter when it felt like Jeremy's heart was being torn apart. 

"I have to go," Jeremy said, rising shakily to his feet.

"Jeremy, wait," Robin pleaded. 'This is as hard for me as it is for you."

It took all of Jeremy's strength not to look back as he walked out the door without a word.


	31. Nicole

"Do you know what this is about?" Wynonna asked as she and Nicole made their way to the auditorium.

Nicole shook her head. She didn't particularly care why classes had been canceled for an assembly. Ever since the formal, she'd had trouble mustering enough energy to care about anything. She knew she was being ridiculous. During the past few days, her squadron won the tournament and saved the lives of everyone at the Academy. She should've felt as weightless as she had in the zero gravity room. Yet all she could think about was the look on Waverly's face right before she'd stormed off. Her callous words had stung, but not as much as the knowledge that she'd hurt her. Again.

They turned into the central corridor and found themselves in a sea of cadets heading toward the auditorium. The crowd was quieter than usual, which didn't strike Nicole as particularly strange at first; the Revenant attack had left the cadets nervous and subdued. But then she realized the real reason for the lack of chatter--stony faced, helmeted Fleet guards along the far wall. There appeared to be more than a dozen of them, guns resting on their shoulders as they watched the cadets.

Wynonna inhaled sharply and froze, causing the boy trailing them to crash into her. Nicole grabbed Wynonna's arm. "Are you okay?" she asked, slightly alarmed to see her most unflappable squademate looking so flustered.

"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Th guards just took me by surprise."

"Me too," she said with a nod. If she'd still been waiting for her medical records to clear, the sight of the guards would've given her a heart attack.

She and Wynonna spent the rest of the short walk in silence, then followed the crowd into the auditorium. "Whoa," Nicole muttered as Wynonna stiffened next to her, staring at the panoramic window that wrapped around the enormous room. The stars that had captivated her during orientation were barley noticeable. All she could focus on were the massive Fleet battle craft surrounding the Academy.

"Let's sit over there," Wynonna said, and Nicole nodded without looking, allowing her to lead her while she kept her eyes trained on the looming ships. It was only after she'd turned into the fourth row the Nicole realized she was heading for the two empty seats next to Waverly and Jeremy. She paused, hoping it wasn't too late to backtrack, but Jeremy had already spotted them and was waving them over. 

Waverly hadn't seen them yet. Her eyes were fixed on the empty stage, either oblivious or indifferent to the nervous chatter around her.

To her dismay, Wynonna motioned for Nicole to go in first and unable to come up with a reason to refuse, she slid past a few seated cadets and lowered herself into the empty seat next to Waverly. She tensed slightly but didn't tear her eyes away from the stage.

_Fine,_ Nicole thought. She should've known that Waverly would never see her as anything other than space trash. Tis was they type of shit that got you killed back home; letting the pretty girl convince you to listen to your heart instead of your gut.

She turned to Jeremy and was about to make a show of ignoring Waverly in return when Admiral Gibson stepped on the stage, followed by Doc and Sergeant Pond, and the quiet murmuring of the crow died away. As usual, Gibson didn't waste any time getting to the point. "As you all know by now, a few days ago, a Revenant ship managed to breach the carefully guarded perimeter around the Academy. The investigation into the security failure is ongoing, but in the meantime, The Fleet has tripled the security around the Academy. Nothing is making it past the new perimeter. You're all safe here... for the time being. However, it's abundantly clear the the Academy's location has been compromised. And there's no doubt that another attack is imminent."

A heavy silence blanketed the auditorium as the cadets exchanged nervous looks. _Another attack is imminent._ Nicole shivered as the words washed over her like the freezing decontamination mist they used back on Titan. She recalled the terror and awe she'd felt when the Revenant battleship had first appeared, then tried to imagine an entire fleet making its way toward the Academy.

She felt Waverly tremble slightly and, without thinking, nearly reached for her hand before catching herself just in time.

"Over the next few weeks, we'll be planning a massive defensive campaign," Admiral Gibson continued, unleashing a wave of whispers. "And it's essential that we have enough officers to carry it out."

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Waverly glance at her, but she kept staring straight ahead.

"This is a lot to process, but I know that every single one of you will demonstrate the commitment and courage that defines the Fleet. You're here because you felt a special calling, a duty to protect your family, your communities, your solar system, and your species. And now you'll have the chance to answer that call."

All around Nicole, cadets were sitting up straighter. Admiral Gibson was one of her least favorite person in the System, but that didn't prevent her words from stirring something inside her. She looked over at Jeremy, who was nodding seriously, but when Jeremy caught Nicole's eye, he grinned. "Sounds like a job for Squadron 20," Jeremy whispered. 

"Do you think they'd actually assign us to the same crew?" Nicole asked quietly.

"It seems foolish to break up a winning combination. Don't you agree, Waves?" Jeremy said.

"I wouldn't want to fly with anyone else." Her eyes darted toward Nicole. "It takes a special type of captain to put up with my outbursts." 

She hesitated as hope began to fray the knot of guilt and frustration in her stomach. "And it take a special type of pilot to forgive her captain for being a complete jerk from time to time."

Waverly pressed her lips tight, a hint of a smile on her face.

Up on the stage, Admiral Gibson stopped to look around the auditorium. "A few months ago, I welcomed you to the Academy as cadets. Today, I look around and see the future of the Fleet. We've never gone down without a fight, and we're certainly not going to start now. We'll rise to the challenge with courage and conviction." She paused and scanned the room, her voice steely but her eyes ablaze. "Here's to unity and prosperity."

"Unity and prosperity!!" The cadets echoed.

Waverly turned to Nicole and they locked eyes. "I'm sorry," Nicole whispered.

"It doesn't matter," Waverly said, shaking her head. "I know you'll never bet against us again."

"Squadron 20? Or...us?" Nicole ventured.

Waverly didn't answer, but her smile told Nicole everything she needed to know.


	32. Wynonna

As she turned into the corridor that led to Doc's office, Wynonna's pulse began to race even faster. She'd been on edge ever since Doc had sent her a message asking her to drop by his office at the end of the day. At first, the sight of his name on her phone had sent a wave of warmth through her body. It would be their first time alone since their midnight swim, and her skin tingled with the memory of his lips on hers. But a moment later, her excitement was swept away by cold fear. She had no idea if he was summoning her to his office as the young man she'd kissed in the ocean tank or as one of the most decorated counterintelligence officers in the Fleet.

She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants as the questions that had been rattling in her head reached a near frenzy. Did he want to talk about the kiss or the attack? Or something else entirely? She tried to come up with a plan for each scenario, but by the time she reached his door, she could barely breathe, let alone think.

She forced herself to take a deep breath, the knocked, praying that he wouldn't answer so she could slip away and save the conversation for another time. Or, given what they'd just learned at the assembly, that he'd suddenly become too busy to question her at all. "Come in!" his voice called. Wynonna raised a shaking arm to the scanner, and the door slid open.

She'd seen a few of her instructors' offices, but so far, Doc's was the first one with a window, thought the view was hardly the most striking feature. Everywhere she looked were shelves full of vials and airtight containers holding everything from fragments of Revenant ships, bomb remnants, fuel samples, and what seemed to be a tiny patch of skin suspended in a liquid.

"Wynonna. Have a seat," Doc said from behind his desk, motioning toward the chair on the other side. She couldn't read his tone, and the expression on his face was similarly inscrutable. 

She sat gingerly at the edge of the seat, unable to keep herself from glancing back over her shoulder at the liquid-filled vial. "You can go take a closer look if you want," Doc said. "It's pretty remarkable The xenobiologists were analyzing a fragment of the Revenant ship you destroyed and realized that some of the cells were organic and intact. They were able to grow that skin from Revenant DNA. So far, i's the closest look we've gotten at them."

Wynonna suppressed a shudder as guilt and disgust curled in her stomach. Those skin cells had belonged to a real person. A Revenant she'd killed.

"I'm okay," she said faintly, hoping it didn't make her sound incurious. Even with all her years of training, she couldn't read Doc's face. There was no sign that he saw her differently from any other student; she couldn't detect a trace of affection or even discomfort. He was completely impassive.

"Listen." He paused to clear his throat. "I want to apologize for my behavior in the ocean tank the other night. t was incredibly inappropriate, and I'm very, very sorry for putting you in such a position. I promise it won't happen again."

It was as if his words had wrapped themselves around her rib cage, forcing the air out of her lungs. Logically, she knew it was a good thing that the counterintelligence expert wanted to keep his distance, but that didn't do much to temper the pain radiating through her. It was hard to believe that the young man in the medal-covered uniform was the same one who'd wrapped his arms around her in the water, who'd made her feel like she wasn't entirely alone.

"You don't have to apologize," she said, grateful that some of her training hadn't gone to waste and that she could keep her voice steady.

"Yes, I do." He straightened his collar, as if eager to confirm that he was properly attired this time around. "I'm your teacher, and my job is to create a learning environment where you feel safe. I want you to be able to talk to me, to trust me, without letting" he paused, looking uncharacteristically flustered," mistakes like that get in the way."

Wynonna stared at him, unsure of how to respond. Swimming in the ocean tank with Doc was the safest she'd felt since arriving at the Academy, the most comfortable she'd felt with anyone. "I understand," she said quietly.

"Good. We're all dealing with a lot right now, and the last thing any of us needs is an extra complication." Some of the discomfort in his face slipped away. "How are you doing?" he asked, assuming the direct, confident tone he used in class.

"I'm fine," she said, though nothing could b further from the truth. She couldn't go more than a few minutes without wondering if she'd known any of the Revenantson the ship they'd destroyed. She kept thinking about how many families would b in mourning right now. How many mothers had woken up today, gasping under the weight of their crushing grief? How many people had thought of a joke to send their sister or brother, only to remember that their sibling would never read anything again?

"You demonstrated remarkably quick thinking when you realized you needed to send that energy pulse across multiple frequencies."

"Thank you," she said, torn between pride and horror.

"How'd you figure that out'

"Figure what out?" she asked, stalling as her brain searched frantically for an answer that would deflect suspicion.

"The shield frequency for the Revenant ship?"

"I think I read something about spread spectrums once," she said vaguely.

"Very lucky indeed." He was smiling, but it wasn't the smile she was used to, the one that made him look younger friendlier. For the first time, there was no sympathy in his eyes. It had been replaced by something cold.

"You're very well-read. Even more so than I realized." He leaned back in his chair. "Would you mind answering a few more questions? It would be incredibly helpful."

 _Get out,_ a voice called from the back of her mind as every muscle in her body tensed, ready to spring into action. She scanned Doc's face for a hint of the person she'd kissed in the ocean tank, but she barely recognized him.

"Of course," she said hoarsely. She'd undergone countless hours of interrogation resistance training, but none of the brutal exercises had prepared her for this desperate panic. "Maybe tomorrow? I'm not sure how useful I'll be right now. I'm pretty tired."

"I'm afraid we can't wait any longer," he said, shaking his head. He pressed something on his desk, and the office door slid open, revealing four Fleet guards, faces obscured by their helmets, guns raised and pointed at her.

Cold dread pulsed through Wynonna's veins as she turned back to Doc.

"See you soon, Wynonna."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd say it's official, we are halfway done with this fic. I feel as though its gone pretty well. Thank you for all the support :)


	33. Wynonna

Wynonna lay on her back on the narrow, rigid bench- the only piece of furniture in the tiny cell. The gravity controls here were separate from the rest of the Academy, and the force was so intense, she could hardly lift her harm to scratch her nose, let alone try to escape. Standing was out of the question, and even sitting proved too arduous for more than a few minutes at a time. She could almost feel her heart struggling to pump blood through her heavy, immobile body.

No one had spoken a word to her since yesterday when she'd been seized by the guards and dragged from Doc's office. She wasn't even entirely sure what she'd been accused of. Had the Fleet realized she was a Revenant? Or were they merely suspicious of her knowledge of the Revenant's spread spectrum, a fact Wynonna had exploited to help her squadron destroy the ship headed for the Academy? If it was the former, then there was no doubt that Wynonna's labored breaths would be her last. She'd be tortured and interrogated by the fleet's top intelligence officers, perhaps even by Doc himself. Wynonna shuddered as she imagined the face that'd once made her heart flutter gazing at her impassively as she writhed in pain.

She closed her eyes and forced her overtaxed lungs to take a few deep breaths as she fought against the panic expanding inside her like toxic gas. She'd spent her entire life training for this mission, and despite the immense danger, she'd succeeded. She'd managed to infiltrate the Fleet Academy, triangulate its top-secret location, and transmit the coordinates to her commanding officer on Ghost River. Because of Wynonna, the Revenants could finally launch the campaign they'd been planning for years, a crippling strike at the heart of the Federation's military operations, the Fleet Academy. But at the last minute, Wynonna had found herself unable to watch the Revenants kill the first real friends she'd ever had, and she'd made the wrenching decision to sabotage the attack by telling her squadron to fry the Revenant ship's communication by sending a directed pulse across multiple frequencies. The plan worked, but success had come at a devastating cost. Every Revenant on the ship had been killed, and the Fleet had grown immediately suspicious about Wynonna's knowledge of Revenant technology.

The door hissed open and Wynonna flinched. Her head felt too heavy to move, forcing her to lie tense and still.

"Hello, Wynonna." a deep, familiar voice said. She managed to turn her head just enough to see Doc and Admiral Gibson standing in the doorway.

"Can you sit up, please?" Doc pressed his link and the weight pinning Wynonna to the bench vanished. She moved her fingers tentatively and flexed her feet a few times before she rolled onto her side and tried to push herself into a seated position. She'd been in the best physical condition of her life when she'd arrived at the Academy, but the long hours she'd spent in the cell had weakened her muscles enough to make even this small action difficult.

She glanced at Doc, who'd stepped into the cell and was now watching her with an inscrutable expression. Just a few days ago, it would've seemed like the most natural thing in the world for him to reach for her hand and help Wynonna sit up. She could still feel the lingering traces of the warmth that had spread through her body the last time he'd touched her. But this time, Doc's arms remained at his sides as he watched Wynonna struggle into a seated position with her back against the wall.

She knew she shouldn't be surprised by his detachment; although they were about the same age, he was one of the most accomplished intelligence officers in the Fleet. Like Wynonna, he'd been trained to maintain his professionalism in any situation, even if that meant interrogating the girl who'd kissed him in the ocean tank. Unless... unless he'd know her secret all along and feigned attraction to get close to her. Could he really have faked the look in his eyes that night? The tenderness and intensity with which he'd kissed her back?

"What's going on? What am I doing here? There has to be some kind of mistake..." It didn't take much effort to make herself sound confused and terrified instead of guilty and terrified.

"You can skip the theatrics," Admiral Gibson said. "Tell us your name."

"Wynonna."

"Your real name."

"That is my real name." It was true. There'd been no need to devise a fake name. To the best of their knowledge, they had never even laid an eye on a so-called Revenant, let alone compiled a database of known secret agents.

Admiral Gibson glowered at Wynonna, then gave a small nod toward Doc. The nearly imperceptible gesture was enough to send an ominous shiver down Wynonna's spine as she wondered how many times they'd performed this routine: Gibson stepping aside to let her counterintelligence expert and master interrogator do what he did best; extract information from unwilling participants.

"How did you know about the spread spectrum?" Doc asked, his tone surprisingly light as if they were back in his classroom instead of a high-security prison cell.

"I told you. It was a lucky guess."

Next to him, Admiral Gibson crossed her arms and glowered, but Doc merely raised an eyebrow. "You have an impressively analytic mind, Wynonna. I highly doubt you ever resort to lucky guesses." He sounded more amused than accusatory, but that only made the situation feel even more chilling. It didn't matter that her life was on the line; this was just a game for him. _It's all just a game._

"Right," Wynonna said. "We tried a number of options, but none of them worked. The spread spectrum was unlikely, but it was still worth trying."

"We know you sent that encrypted transmission with the coordinates," Admiral Gibson said, ignoring Doc's subtle look of warning as she abandoned whatever plan they'd devised. "The security cameras caught you prowling through restricted areas. You were responsible for the attack. So either you're spying for the Revenants, or else..." She cut herself off with a frown as if the second option were too disturbing to say aloud.

"Or else you are a Revenant," Doc continued calmly.

Her years of training kicked in, allowing Wynonna to keep her voice and breath steady despite her frantically thudding heart. "A Revenant?" she repeated with as much incredulity as she could muster.

"Enough," Admiral Gibson snapped. "We have sufficient evidence to lock you up for the rest of your life. If you even make it that far. The Federation knows we captured a spy who put the entire solar system at risk, and we have the legal authority to extract information from you by any means necessary. If you refuse to tell us the truth, then Lieutenant Holliday will be forced to resort to less pleasant methods."

Wynonna looked at Doc, desperately searching his face for a sign of sympathy, some indication that he'd do his best to protect her. But his expression remained as inscrutable as ever.

She'd been trained to resist interrogation. It's been the most frightening, grueling portion of her intense preparations, but she'd learned to stay calm and withstand pain. _This one will never crack,_ her gruff instructor had told General Dolls while Wynonna sat slumped in a nearby chair, struggling to breathe normally after being deprived of oxygen. She'd find out soon enough if he'd been right.

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Admiral," Doc said, turning to Wynonna. Instead of the sadistic gleam, she'd always associated with interrogators, Doc's eyes seemed full of something akin to wonder. "You are a Revenant."

"That's ridiculous," she said quickly. Under no circumstances was she to admit the truth. Better to die a terrible, violent death than endanger her people.

Doc's face hardened slightly as he reached into his jacket ad produced a metal device Wynonna didn't recognize. "Fine. If you don't feel like cooperating, there are other ways to discover the truth."

Wynonna took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to steel herself for what was about to happen. Part of her had always known she'd be forced to withstand torture, but she'd never imagined that the first person she'd ever cared for would be the one to do it.

"I'll ask you one more time," Doc said with unsettling composure as he stepped up next to the bench. "Are you a Revenant?"

"Of course not. I don't know what you're talking about."

Doc leaned toward her with the metal device as she twisted away, but he still managed to brush it against her arm. She felt a mild stinging sensation and braced for the agonizing shock of pain that was sure to follow, but to her confusion and relief, Doc drew back. He held the tool in the air and squinted as he examined it, brow furrowing as he stared at a small screen Wynonna hadn't noticed. It wasn't a torture device, she realized as her relief drained away. It was something far more dangerous.

"What does it say?" Admiral Gibson asked.

"Her DNA matches the structure of the samples we collected from the Revenant ship." Wynonna could tell it was taking considerable effort to keep his voice steady as he turned to her and said, "This is remarkable. You are a Revenant. Though you certainly wouldn't call yourself that, would you?"

Her brain raced to come up with a plausible explanation: The DNA scanner had malfunctioned or been contaminated. Yet the denials fizzled in her mouth as she took in the expression on Doc's face. He knew the truth, and for the first time since she'd left her home planet, the fact filled her with more relief than terror.

"Yes," Wynonna met his eyes. "I'm a Revenant" It was the first time she'd spoken the word aloud since arriving in this system.

"How many of you are at the Academy?"

"Just me," Wynonna said quickly.

"How many of you are in the System?" The edge had returned to his voice and all traces of wonder had disappeared from his penetrating gaze.

"Just me," she repeated. "I'm the only one."

"That's ridiculous," Admiral Gibson said with a dismissive sniff. "Why would they send you on your own? It'd be a suicide mission. If you're actually a Revenant, then there must be more of you embedded throughout the System."

"I'm telling you the truth. I'm the only one."

Admiral Gibson narrowed her eyes as she took a few steps toward Wynonna. "What do the Revenants want from us?"

Wynonna stared at her, wondering if this was a trick. She glanced at Doc for clarity, but the counterintelligence officer's gaze had become searching and urgent. "We don't want anything from you," Wynonna said. "We just want you to stop killing us."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have attacked us unprovoked," Admiral Gibson said dryly.

 _They really don't know,_ Wynonna thought as her confusion turned to disbelief. During her first week at the Academy, she'd discovered that the cadets and instructors were under the false impression that the Revenants, not them, had attacked first. But she hadn't realized just how far the lie had spread. Not even the highest-ranking officers in the Fleet seemed to know the truth.

"We didn't," Wynonna said, careful to keep her voice firm without being accusatory. "Fifteen years ago, the Fleet sent a probe to collect soil samples from my home. A few months later, three fighter ships arrived and dropped a bomb on our capital city."

"That's impossible," Admiral Gibson snapped. "No Fleet fighter craft has ever made it all the way to your home planet."

"That's what you've been told. But it's a lie."

"This is becoming ridiculous. Lieutenant Holliday, you have ten minutes to extract the truth from this girl, or else I'll bring in someone who'll get the job done. There's an attendant that's been programmed to interrogate enemies of the state. It has a one hundred percent success rate and even cleans up after itself, no matter how much blood it leaves on the floor."

"Just wait a moment, Admiral," Doc said before turning back to Wynonna. "What kind of soil samples? Do you know what the probe was looking for?"

"Iron," Wynonna said, using their word for the mineral.

Doc and Admiral haze exchanged startled looks. "Are you sure?" Doc asked

"Yes. After the first bombing, it was clear that your people would be willing to kill every Revenant on the planet to get to the Iron. That's why we launched a retaliatory attempt." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "An that's why I was sent to transmit the coordinates of the Academy."  
  


"That's the most absurd story I've ever heard," Gibson said as she shifted her weight uneasily, glancing at Doc out of the corner of her eye. "There's no record of any such mission."

"That doesn't mean it didn't happen." Wynonna's voice grew louder, her exhaustion momentarily pushed aside by desperation.

Gibson gave Wynonna a long, searching look that made her glad the admiral was Waverly's mother and not hers. Then she jerked her head to the side to focus her penetrating gaze on Doc instead. "Can we trust her?"

Doc's eyes travel over Wynonna, and for a moment, she felt some of her anxiety drain away as she thought about their kiss when he had looked at her with an expression she'd never seen directed at her before. Like he'd glimpsed the real her, and it'd been enough to make him want to kiss her back.

Doc would believe her. He'd understand that she'd done the best she could, given the terrible position she'd been put in.

When he spoke, his voice was so light, it took a moment for her to process the meaning of his words. He sounded almost amused when he said, "She's the last person I'd ever trust."


	34. Jeremy

"Are you okay?" Waverly asked, glancing at Jeremy with concern as they hurried through the crowded corridor toward the launchport, where they'd been ordered to report for patrol duty. Since the attack, the Fleet had tripled the security around the Academy, requiring so much additional manpower that even first years were given shifts on patrol ships.

"I'm not sure how to answer that," Jeremy said with a rueful smile. Just days ago, their squadron had managed to foil a Revenant attack on the Academy; they were still recovering from their near brush with death while preparing for the larger assault that now seemed inevitable. But it was impossible to focus on the task ahead with Wynonna missing. Jeremy hadn't seen or heard from Wynonna in nearly two days, despite sending her eight messages and making multiple trips to her room.

Waverly let out a dry laugh. "I don't mean in the larger, existential sense, obviously. You just looked particularly tense back there."

Jeremy glanced over his shoulder at the guards they'd just passed. There were about a dozen of them lined up on each side of the long corridor, their helmet shields pulled down over their faces. they'd arrived a few hours after Jeremy's squadron had blown up the Revenant ship, and while they were ostensibly here to protect the cadets, that knowledge couldn't overwrite the fear stored in his pounding heart. "I didn't expect to see so many guards," he said with a shrug.

"After facing down the Revenants, it's the guars that make you nervous?" Waverly asked with a teasing smile. "Afraid you're going to get a speeding ticket?"

"That's not what we worry about on Ginus," Jeremy said quietly. On his ice-covered home, the most remote in the solar system, the guards served as a constant visual reminder of who was in charge, the rich mine owners whom the government allowed to act with impunity. They used the government- paid guards as their own private security service, breaking up strikes and silencing anyone brave, desperate, or foolish enough to protest the cruel treatment of the miners.

Waverly pressed her lips together and looked chastened. "Sorry. I keep forgetting how different things are in other places."

"It's fine. I need to remember that the guards here to keep me from getting blown up by the Revenants, not to bash my face in." He lowered his voice. "Have you heard anything about Wynonna?"

Waverly shook her head grimly, then glanced down at her phone and scrolled through a message, blushing slightly.

"So I assume things are back on with Natalie?" Jeremy said, smiling despite the anxiety roiling his stomach.

"I don't know. Maybe. I guess." She sounded uncharacteristically flustered, and the flush on her cheeks deepened. "It seems a little silly to worry about something like that, given everything going on."

"It's not silly at all. If we don't allow ourselves to be happy, then what are we really fighting for?" Despite his best efforts, he couldn't quite keep a wistful note out of his voice, prompting a sympathetic smile from Waverly, one of the only people he'd told about his break up with Robin.

Jeremy had spent the first few weeks of the term ina frenzy over Robin, analyzing the minutia of every interaction as his brain struggled to reconcile the outward signs of flirtation with the irrefutable truth. That no one as handsome, smart, and charming as Robin would ever fall for him. His skepticism was compounded by the fact that Robin was the son of someone who hated people from outside of their planet. However, the persistent, disarming Robin had eventually convinced Jeremy to trust him, and for a few blissful weeks, Jeremy has his first experience of true happiness.

Then, a few days ago, Robin told him that word of their relationship had reached his father and that if Robin didn't end it, he'd be forced to leave the Academy. Robin, the first boy Jeremy had ever loved, the first boy he'd ever kissed, the first person to make Jeremy feel like he'd mattered like he deserved the future he'd dreamed of, had dumped him a few weeks ago. The jagged pieces of Jeremy's broken heart were still embedded in his chest like shrapnel.

"Hey," Sola said, falling in step with Waverly and Jeremy. "Are you two also on patrol duty this afternoon?"

"Yup," Jeremy said as Waverly nodded, her attention once again fixed on her phone. "Is this your first shift?"

"I had my first one yesterday," Sola said, rubbing her eyes. "Five straight hours of staring at a radar screen."

Jeremy frowned. "They shouldn't assign you back-to-back shifts like that."

"I don't really mind," she said with a weary smile. "It's nice to feel like we're actually doing something, you know? I like to think that my little sister sleeps better knowing that I'm up here, helping to keep her safe."

Jeremy's heart cramped as he thought about his mother on Ginus, alone in their sparsely furnished, spotless cabin. "I do know," he said. But before he could say anything, his monitor trilled in his ear. _"Report to the superintendent's office immediately. Based on your current location, your estimated travel time is eight minutes."_ From the look on Waverly's face, it was clear that she'd just received the same notification.

They excused themselves, telling Sola they'd see her on the launchport, then hurried to the administrative wing. "Any idea what this is about?" Jeremy asked as a knot of dread formed in his stomach.

"Nope," Waverly said, imbuing her voice with forced cheer. More than anyone at the Academy, the superintendent's daughter knew that summons rarely boded well.

As they turned into the corridor that led to Admiral Gibson's office, Jeremy saw Natalie approaching from the other direction. Her grim expression softened when she saw them, and she raised her hand in greeting. "I assume we're being invited for a surprise party, right?"

Waverly rolled her eye and gave Natalie an affectionate smile that made Jeremy's chest twinge with a mixture of happiness and sorrow. The sensors outside Waverly's mother's office detected their presence, and the door slid open before any of them had time to lift their Student ID to the scanner. To Jeremy's surprise, Admiral Gibson wasn't alone. The Commander, the head of the fleet was standing next to her desk, looking graver than Jeremy had ever seen him.

Admiral Gibson wasted no time getting to the point. "Thank you three for coming. What I'm about to tell you is highly classified, in fact, that none of you should even know the name of this level of security clearance, let alone the actual intelligence. But given the extraordinary circumstances, I've been permitted to brief you. Wynona has been arrested under suspicion of treason."

She paused and scanned that cadets' faces, searching for a glimmer of recognition, a sign that they'd somehow known or suspected. But from the stunned silence, it was clear that Waverly and Natalie were as aghast as Jeremy.

"We believe that Wynonna was passing information to the Revenants," Admiral Gibson continued. "Her knowledge of the spread spectrum roused our suspicion, and after further investigation, we discovered that, a few weeks ago, someone broke into the command center and sent an outgoing transmission with the Academy's coordinates. Now, I'm only going to ask you once: Did you ever notice anything unusual about her behavior? If you know anything, speak up now, and there will be no disciplinary consequences. But that deal lasts only until you leave my office, so consider your actions carefully."

Jeremy's head had begun to spin; he felt dizzier and more disoriented than he had during his first ride on the shuttle, watching the ground fall away beneath him. Wynonna had grown up on Panama. She'd been eleven years old when the Revenants destroyed her capital city. How could she ever work for the callous, cold-blooded killers who'd murdered half a million people?

"With respect, that doesn't make any sense," Jeremy said. "Why would she have wanted to help the Revenants? And how would the Revenants have even contacted her, to begin with? I don't understand how..." He trailed off as the Commander fixed him with a stern glare.

"She wasn't helping the Revenants. She is a Revenant."

Jeremy stared at the Commander, his already overtaxed brain unable to make sense of the words.

"Sorry, what?' Natalie said, echoing Jeremy's own mess of confused thoughts.

"Your squadron mate is a Revenant spy who infiltrated the Academy by posing as a Cadet. She admitted it during questioning."

The real meaning of the word questioning unfolded in Jeremy's mine, interrogation. The Fleet's technical ban on torture didn't extend to anyone accused of treason, a loosely defined term that could be applied to a variety of scenarios. "Where is she?" Jeremy asked, surprised by his own vehemence. "What are you going to her?"

The Commander shot him a cold look. "I'm troubled by the fact that you seem more concerned about the welfare of a spy than that of the System. Moreover, I find it staggering that none of you realized something was wrong with that girl. You spent how many hours together?"

Jeremy winced as the words unleashed a tide of shame. He should've never spoken like that to the commander of the Fleed, regardless of the circumstances.

"But Wynonna didn't do anything suspicious," Waverly said carefully, looking from Jeremy to Natalie, who nodded her agreement. "She was quiet, that's it. And she's the one who figured out how to blow up the ship. She saved all of our lives."

"She wouldn't have had to save anyone's life if she hadn't sent those coordinates to the Revenants." The Commander was nearly shouting at this point. "And now our enemy knows our exact location."

Admiral Gibson stepped forward until she was standing between the Commander and the cadets. "They say they didn't notice anything suspicious, and I believe them."

When the Commander spoke again, his voice was icy. "I think we should continue this discussion in private." He turned to Waverly, Jeremy, and Natalie. "You three are dismissed."

They saluted and hurried out, none of them speaking until they'd left the administration wing. Finally, Jeremy broke the silence. "It has to be a mistake, right? How could Wynonna possibly be a..." He pressed his lips together, unable to produce the word.

"I don't know," Natalie said, shaking her head. "Someone had to transmit those coordinates, and even without the security footage, you have to admit, it's strange that Wynonna knew about the spread spectrum."

"Really?" Jeremy snapped. A flame of anger flickered amid the cloud of confusion. "Or maybe there was some major intelligence screwup and it's easier for them to blame a cadet than admit their own mistake."

"Maybe," Natalie said, unfazed by Jeremy's outburst. "But I really don't think that's what's going on here. As much as it hurts to admit, we have to face the truth. Wynonna wasn't who she claimed to be."


	35. Waverly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long to get out. I've been super busy. But I hope you enjoy this one. My emotions were all over the place writing this one.

This was a real patrol flight, not a training session in the simulcraft or the short mission Squadron 20 had been sent on as a reward for winning the tournament. The crafts would be flown by fully qualified fleet officers--first-year cadets like Waverly and Jeremy were only there to analyze the radar screens. But as Waverly climbed up the steps of the battleship, she felt a pang of longing as she turned right toward the tech bay instead of left toward the pilot's seat. It didn't matter that she'd never flown anything nearly as large as a battleship; her yearning to grasp the controls was like a physical ache. She missed everything about flying, but today she especially missed how it demanded her complete focus, ridding her head of all nonessential thoughts. Her brain had been spinning out of control since they'd left her mother's office. How could Wynonna be a Revenant?

An eon didn't feel like enough time for Waverly to wrap her head around the groundbreaking revelation. No one had ever actually seen the elusive, violent beings that'd been launching deadly attacks on the System for decades. Any enemy ships the fleet managed to destroy were blown up in space at long range, making it impossible to catch a glimpse of the bloodthirsty killers inside. That's why they were called Revenants. No one knew whether they resembled their kid or whether they belonged to an entirely different race. But based on their callous ability to kill millions without ever making contact, most people assumed that the Revenants were an alien life0form, certainly not a quiet blond girl who, when she finally opened up, demonstrated surprising empathy. It was hard enough to understand why Wynonna would pass information to the Revenants, let alone believe that she was one herself.

Yet that hadn't been sufficient defense for the Commander. Waverly's stomach twisted as she recalled the look of disgust on the commander's face as he shouted at them. She'd devoted the past five years of her life to earning a spot at the Academy and then worked tirelessly to distinguish herself during the first term. Against all odds, her squadron had won the tournament and destroy a Revenant ship heading toward the Academy. But now the commander of the Fleet was furious with them ad all her hard work was in vain.

Unlike the fightercraft, which only had one cabin, the much larger battleship had multiple levels. Jeremy and Waverly would be stationed on the main deck, scanning the radar for signs of enemy activity, while Sola would report for duty in the control room on the lower level near the weapons bay. _"Remain seated for launch,"_ the copilot's voice rang in Waverly's ear; once they boarded the battleship; their monitors had automatically synced up with the ship's network.

The announcement was filled by a series of low beeps that signaled the ship was moving along the tracks of the launchport toward the airlock and would soon depart the Academy. She felt a slight tremor as the port side of the battleship knocked against the side of the hanger. Normally, this would cause her to sigh dramatically, prompting an affectionate eye-roll from Jeremy. But at the moment, she had much bigger things on her mind than witnessing a poorly executed launch. She couldn't stop herself from picking over every piece of information she knew about Wynonna. It wasn't much. For the first few weeks, Wynonna had barely spoken during their practice sessions in the simulator. No one was that shy. Looking back, maybe it should've been clear that Wynonna had been keeping some kind of secret.

She glanced over at Jeremy, who seemed similarly lost in his thoughts, staring listlessly at the monitor, something he'd been doing with increasing regularity ever since his break-up with Robin. She wished there was something she could do about it, to talk sense into her misguided childhood friend, especially now that Jeremy needed Robin's support more than ever. Of all of them, he'd been the closest to Wynonna, and this news would affect him the most. Now wasn't the moment to let pride or misunderstanding separate two people who were clearly in love. But it'd taken the better part of a term to earn the intensely private Jeremy's trust and she sensed that he'd never forgive her for meddling. She was grateful that she and Natalie had moved on from their blowup at the end of term celebration, where she'd learned that she'd purposely thrown their first battle to win a bet, a loss that had sent the hypercompetitive Waverly into a downward spiral. She'd forgiven her for misleading and she in turn had forgiven her for the cruel things she'd said to her in anger--barbs that still made her wince thinking about them. But for some reason, Natalie wasn't bothered by Waverly's occasional outbursts. Unlike her ex-boyfriend, Champ, who always told Waverly to "relax" and "stop getting so worked up," Natalie seem to appreciate her intensity. Waverly suppressed a smile, thinking about the message Natalie had sent her before her patrol shift: _"Come help my outfit before dinner? I won't be able to decide what to wear. There are just soooo many options. Also, I can't remember how you showed me to tie the bowtie ;)_

Robin had lent Natalie a few dress shirts and slacks for the Academy's formal dinners, and the first time she'd worn a suit a few nights ago, she'd message Waverly for help tying a bowtie--a visit that ended with them wearing far fewer clothing items than they'd started with. She had no doubt that the highly competent Natalie, who'd received the highest score on the aptitude exam of any first-year cadet, could figure out the mechanics of trying a bowtie on her own. But she was happy for her to keep up the charge for a bit longer. 

_"Cruising speed reached. Resume normal operations."_ Waverly unhooked her harness, and see and Jeremy began to scroll through the radar screens, checking for any unusual movement on the edges of the solar system. It was both tedious and nerve-wracking work. The Revenant ships were undetectable while traveling at light speed, which meant they could appear on the outskirts of the System without warning.

"Any movement?" Waverly spun to see Captain Manon striding across the deck toward the navigation bay, looking both elegant and powerful in her white uniform with its gleaming brass buttons.

"Nothing, Captain," Jeremy said while Waverly shook her head.

Manon frowned, her attention diverted by her link. "Sola's reporting some inconsistent readings on the electrical system. Chetri, will you check it out?"

"Right away." Jeremy saluted and hurried off. Although officially, first-year cadets didn't specialize, Jeremy's technical aptitude had already been noticed by the faculty.

Just as Jeremy stepped into the hall that led from the main deck to the stairway, a bone-shaking rumble filled the air and the ship pitched to the side. As a pilot, Waverly was normally unfazed by sudden, stomach-dropping movements, but that was in a smaller ship, not a massive one. Unable to secure herself in time, she skidded out of her seat and crashed against the wall with a painful thud.

"We've been hit!" the pilot shouted. Even from a distance, Waverly could see his knuckles turning white as he used all his strength to steady the swaying ship. "Is everyone okay?"

Captain Manon was still upright, bracing herself against the wall with one hand as she spoke into her radio. "It's the Revenants. Attack positions." Her calm, steady voice poured through various configurations of the radar screen. "Where the hell did they come from?" she muttered. "Did you see anything before the blast?"

"No, there was nothing," Waverly said as she stared at the radar screen in a daze. "I'll show you the playback from the last few minutes." The shaking had subsided enough for Waverly to stagger back to her seat, but when she reached her chair, she found she couldn't sit down. Her feet wouldn't even stay on the ground. The ship's gravity had gone out.

"Shit," Manon grunted as she scrambled along the wall trying to find something to hold on to. "They must have used some kind of electromagnetic pulse to scramble the ship's gravity and hell knows what else. Mills, reverse course!" she called to the pilot before turning to Waverly. "Find the ship that attacked us now! I have to alert the Academy."

"I'm on it." Waverly pushed the wall and manage to wrap her legs around the base of the chair long enough to hook her harness. She expanded and collapsed the radar screens, examining the surrounding area from all angles but there was no sign of movement anywhere. _Where the hell did they go?_

"Jeremy, do you see anything?" There was no answer. "Jeremy?"

The harness dug into her shoulder as she twisted around, trying to get a glimpse of Jeremy's chair. Surely he would've returned to his post after hearing Manon's command. But to her confusion, his seat was empty. "Jeremy?" she called again, then twisted in the other direction. Out of the corner of her eye, she could just make out the shape of a still body floating outside the entrance to the bridge. "Jeremy!"

Waverly unhooked her harness, grabbed on to the chair for leverage, and then brought her feet against the back of the seat and pushed off as hard as she could. The momentum was enough to cover nearly half the distance between her and Jeremy, but she didn't want to get stuck floating in the middle of the cabin, so using a technique she'd learned from her hours in the zero-gravity room, she landed in a crouch and pushed off again, touching down lightly next to Jeremy. Wedging her foot in the doorway that led to the stairs, she was just able to hold herself in place.

Jeremy was floating only a few inches above the ground, pinned under a piece of metal that'd been jarred loose from the ceiling. "Jeremy," Waverly whispered as she gently squeezed his shoulder. His eyes were closed and his skin had a grayish color. "Are you okay?" The words had barely made it out of her mouth when she saw the blood blooming on Jeremy's leg. Waverly swallowed a gasp as her gaze followed the blood to its source-- a jagged piece of metal sticking out of Jeremy's thigh.

"No.." Waver;y brought her fingers to Jeremy's neck. His pulse was still strong. She just needed to stop the bleeding. "I need help back here!" she shouted.

"What's going on?" Captain Manon called as she bounded toward them, performing a maneuver similar to Waverly's.

"Jeremy's injured. I'm not sure what to do."

Captain Manon knelt down to check his pulse. "Medical attention required for Cadet Chetri," she said into her radio before cursing under her breath. "The medical attendant is stuck in the infirmary. The door's been jammed. You'll have to follow the instructions and do your best."

"What?" Waverly said, sharing at Captain Manon in horror. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Mission control is asking for you Captain," the pilot called hoarsely.

"I have to get back over there," Manon said. "Ask your monitor for instructions. I'll be right over there if something goes wrong." She launched herself back toward the command center, leaving Waverly alone with Jeremy.

"Help me, please," Waverly said into her monitor.

" _Emergency mode activated. Please wait for instructions."_

"Oh, Jeremy," Waverly whispered, squeezing his hand. "Please, hold on. Please"

" _Scans show that your skin contains negligible hazardous microbes. You may remove the foreign object from the patient's leg."_

Waverly's stomach clenched as she stared down at the piece of metal sticking out of Jeremy's thigh. "Will it hurt him?"

" _The pain will not last long"_

Her heart was pounding, and she felt sweat beginning to for on her palms. She almost wiped them on her jacket but caught herself just in time. she couldn't risk contaminating them any further. "Okay, Jeremy, I'm going to do this as quickly as possible, and then it'll be over. Everything's going to be okay, I promise."

Gingerly, she placed her hand on the object, which looked like a piece of the filtration system, adjusting the angle of her grip a few times before she tightened her hold. She anchored herself to the wall with one foot, then took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and tugged. It came out easily, and Jeremy's eyelids fluttered but didn't open. She dropped the metal and left it floating in the air. "Okay, what's next?"

Waverly's monitor talked her through creating a makeshift tourniquet, which she tied around Jeremy's leg, just above the wound.

"Waverly," he said groggily as his eyes opened. The color returned to his cheeks. "What's going on?"

"There was an attack and the gravity's out. I'll help you back to your chair."

"No." He shook his head with a wince. "I need to find Sola."

"Absolutely not. You almost bled to death just now!"

 _"Low oxygen warning,"_ a calm, automated voice announced from the speakers as the lights began to flash. " _Life support system has been compromised."_

"What the hell?" Manon said from the captain's chair.

"That's impossible. We can't run out of oxygen that quickly. Not on a ship this size. Sola, check the readings."

She paused, but there was nothing but static. "Sola, we need a report on the damage." The silence that followed sent a ripple of fear down Waverly's spine.

" _Low oxygen warning,"_ the voice said again. " _You have... eleven minutes of life support remaining."_

"That's impossible," Manon said again, though this time she sounded less convinced.

"That's not enough time to make it back to the Academy!" the pilot shouted.

"Cadet Chetri," Manon called over her shoulder. "Do you think you can make it down to the control from to help Sola? Even if the oxygen converter was damaged, there should be enough to get us back to the Academy. Find out what's going on."

"I can try."

Waverly started to protest but then bit her lip. If anyone could figure this out, it was Jeremy. She double-checked that his bandage was secure, then told him to wait while she peeked down the stairs. The ceiling had collapsed, revealing a web of singed wires that sparked dangerously. "It's blocked!" she called over her shoulder. The words came out more like a gasp than a shout, reminding her how foolish it was to waste oxygen right now. By the time she managed to pull herself along the wall to investigate the blockage, she was already light-headed. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then immediately regretted it. Surely the efficient thing was to keep her breathing steady and even.

 _"Warning,"_ her monitor rang in her ear. _"Blood oxygen is below optimum levels."_

"No shit," Waverly muttered. Whatever was going o, it wasn't a mistake with the readings. The oxygen was truly running low.

The web of exposed wires was wide enough to block the stairs, and it would be impossible to pass safely through the sparking and sizzling circuitry.

Cursing to herself, she turned around and, by pushing herself along the wall, managed to make it back to Jeremy. "The stairs are blocked. You'll have to walk to Sola through the repairs of your Radio," she said calmly as if this were a routine exercise instead of a matter of life or death.

"She hasn't responded yet," Jeremy said. "I think she must be injured."

 _"Warning,"_ Waverly's monitor rang in her ear. _"Blood oxygen is dangerously low. For information on asphyxiation, say tell me more."_

From the look on Jeremy's face, it was clear he'd gotten the same message. "I'll have to find another way to the control room," he said as he looked around the cabin with a grimace. "There. Look." He nodded at an air vent near the ceiling. "Based on the schematics I've studied, that ven should lead to the control room."

Waverly tried to shake her head but found that she couldn't quite muster that energy. "You can't. Not with your leg." But Jeremy was already on his way, floating through the air with his injured leg sticking straight out, motionless, as he used the rest of his body to propel himself toward the ceiling. He reached the vent, which he opened with a deft flick of his wrist, and then, holding on to the edge, repositioned his body so his back was against the opening.

"Be careful," Waverly croaked, her lungs suddenly too tired to produce the force required to shout. She watched anxiously as Jeremy guided himself into the air vent, wincing as his leg bumped against the side.

Waverly forced herself to wait a few minutes before speaking into her radio. "How are you doing in there?"

"Fine." Jeremy's voice sounded faint but composed. "I'm going as quickly as I can. There's smoke coming up from somewhere."

"Take your time," Waverly said just as her monitor pinged. _"Blood oxygen is dangerously low. You have..six minutes left before risking permanent brain damage."_

"How's it going with Chetri?" Manon called hoarsely from the front of the ship, where she was directing the pilot, preparing for the next attack.

"He's trying to get to the control room. Through the air vent."

Manon made a sound Waverly couldn't quite identify, but she decided to take it as a grunt of approval.

"I'm almost there," Jeremy said with a wheeze. "I just need to..." He took a shallow, whistling breath. "I just need to open the grate." Waverly heard a faint clatter follow by a gasp.

"Everything okay?"

"The control room is full of smoke. There's a fire somewhere. That's what's eating up all the oxygen." Jeremy coughed, then began to shout hoarsely. "Sola... Sola, are you okay?"

"Can you see her?" Waverly asked.

"Sola!" Jeremy called again. "Oh, god, no...no, no, no."

"What?" Waverly said, though her frantically pounding heart seemed to know the answer already. "Jeremy, tell me..." She trailed off as a wave of dizziness engulfed her. Her head was spinning, but every time she tried to take a deep breath to steady herself, the room only spun faster.

"She's not moving... I don't think she'd breathing."

_"Warning...Blood oxygen is dangerously low. You have... four minutes left before risking permanent brain damage."_

"I... don't know what to do. How do I help her? Jeremy's voice cracked.

"You have to try to repair the life-support system first. Then we'll do everything we can for Sola."

"I don't think there's anything I can do," Jeremy said faintly. "It...looks like the pulse fried the converter, and the fire next door is eating up all our available oxygen. It seems too big for the sprinkler to contain."

_Warning...Blood oxygen is dangerously low. You have... three minutes left before risking permanent brain damage."_

"You have to do something," Waverly said, her voice growing even hoarser. "Jeremy, please..."

"Okay, okay... hold on. This is really strange..." Jeremy's faint voice trailed off, and it was unclear whether something had distracted him, or whether he'd succumbed to weakness and fatigue.

"What's strange?"

"It looks like the vents are closed. I think there must've been a hydrogen build-up. That's what caused the explosion. No wonder the sprinklers aren't putting it out-- it must be an inferno."

The fear in his voice made Waverly's heart constrict. "So there's nothing we can do?"

"We need to expel the hydrogen. If I manually open the vent, the emergency system should be able

to contain the fire."

"Try it. Just hurry."

"Wait, hold on, I might be able to..."

_Warning...Blood oxygen is dangerously low. You have... one minute left before risking permanent brain damage."_

_This is it,_ Waverly thought. _This is how I'm going to die._ She closed her eyes. _Goodbye, Natalie,_ she thought, wishing with all her might that she could send the words through the dark void of space into the mind she'd spend so long trying to understand.

The alarms went quiet.

"Jeremy? What happe--"

"I flipped the manual valve," he said hoarsely. "The hydrogen is venting and the sprinkler system is putting out the fire."

 _"Systems normal,"_ the automated voice announced

"Jermy, you're a genius," Waverly said as she closed her eyes in exhaustion and relief. "Stay where you are I'm coming for you. We need to get you secured in case we sustain another hit."

"There's still no sign of them," the shaken-sounding pilot said over the comm system.

"What? They just disappeared?" Waverly asked, startled.

"They don't call them Revenants for nothing."

* * *

When Waverly half led, half carried Jeremy out of the ship, a crowd was already waiting on the Academy launchport, including a team of medics who deftly settled Jeremy onto a stretcher suspending between two attendants and then whisked him away. Waverly started to follow, but someone grabbed her arm. "Waverly, thank god." Before she could respond, she was pulled into a tight hug she would've recognized if she could count on more than one hand the number of times her mother had embraced her.

"I should go with him," Waverly said as she took a few shaky steps toward the swiftly retreating attendants.

"He'll be fine," Admiral Gibson said in her closest approximation of a comforting tone. "You saved his life. Now, I know you just experienced quite a shock, but I need you and the rest of the crew to come with me for debriefing. We need you to tell us what happened during the attack."

Waverly nodded, too exhausted to do anything more than allow her head to succumb to the gravity, then she slowly turned to investigate the source of the commotion behind her. Another stretcher was emerging from the ship, but this time the attendants' movements seemed more cautious than urgent.

Unlike Jeremy, whose pale face and bloodstained shirt had been plainly visible, this figure was covered by a white sheet. But as the attendants glided by, the sheet shifted enough to reveal Sola's cold, still fingertips--fingertips that would never again clutch the controls of a ship, or clasp the hand of someone she loved. Waverly's head began to spin, overwhelmed by the force of her grief and horror. _Get it together, Gibson,_ she commanded, but her insubordinate body refused to follow orders, her cowardly knees threatened to give out.

She struggled in vain against the dizziness, trying to blink away the blurry edges of her vision, but her efforts weren't enough to keep the floor from rushing toward her.

"It's okay," a voice murmured softly. "I've got you."

The last thing she felt was the warmth and support of Natalie's arms around her, and then everything went dark.


	36. Nicole

The first-year common room was usually bustling at this time of day, packed with cadets gossiping with friends, cramming for an exam, or ordering snacks from the attendants to tide them over until dinner. This evening, however, the common room was as quiet as the Titan Barrens before a sandstorm.

In the wake of the second attack, the one that'd killed Sola and nearly destroyed Waverly and Jeremy's patrol ship, the Academy had been placed on the highest alert. The commander had extended the range of the patrol ships to create a perimeter around the entire solar system since no one knew where or how the Revenants would strike next.

_And no one,_ Nicole corrected herself grimly. If Wynona was truly a spy, if she'd indeed been the one to transmit the Academy's coordinates to the enemy, then there was a good chance she knew all about the Revenant strategy. _She could have stopped this,_ she thought, as she clenched and unclenched her fist. But then again, she had stopped the last attack-- telling Nicole and the others about the spread spectrum and allowing them to blow up the Revenant ship moments before it launched a missile at the Academy. Her head spun as she tried to make sense of it all. If Wynonna was really a Revenant sent to destroy us, why would she turn around and help them kill her own people?

She glanced down at her phone and frowned. Only thirteen minutes had passed since she'd let the medical center, where she'd spent the afternoon going back and forth between Waverly's and Jeremy's rooms. Visitors weren't normally permitted, but Nicole was given special dispensation as the patients' squadron mate, a relationship that trumped all others at the Academy. she'd heard that Waverly's ex-boyfriend, Champ, had also tried to see her, only to be turned away. The fact that he'd even tried to visit Waverly revealed the endless depths of Champ's stupidity. There was no way she'd take him back after learning he was the one who'd defaced the corridor with the hateful message.

Champ had resented the Settlers before he'd even arrived that eh Academy. and his ire had only grown worse throughout the term; he blamed his "Edger" squadron mates for his subpar performance in the tournament, and his animosity had reached a fever pitch when he realized that Waverly had called for her Titan captain. Yet despite being outed as a bigot, Champ continued to move through life with the grating good cheer of someone who'd never met an obstacle that couldn't be removed with a favor or a bribe. That's why, despite all evidence to the contrary, he seemed to believe he had a shot at winning Waverly back.

"Hey, Natalie," a weary voice said. She looked up to see Bryce, a Ginusian First-year. She didn't know her that well- Jeremy didn't mix his home crew with his squadron all that often- but one glimpse was enough to tell that something was wrong. Her hair was lank and straggly, and faint shadows hovered under her normally bright eyes.

"Hey," Nicole said, scooting over to make room for her on the couch. "I guess you heard?"

She gave a small nod as she sat down next to her. "I think I'm in shock," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm not sure why. I mean, we all know what we signed up for. We understood that not all of us would live to see the end of the war, but I guess I didn't expect us to lose someone quite so soon. And I know it's crazy, because who can control these things, but I never would've pictured Sola as the first casualty."

"I know what you mean. You could almost imagine her fending off the Revenants with one of her disapproving frowns."

"Only if she added one of those slow headshakes," Bryce said with a sad smile. "Forget my instructors or my squadron. Sola was the one I was most afraid of letting down. The other day, I suggested skipping our workout in order to get a good seat n the theater room, and I swear I've never seen anyone look so disappointed in me. But it wasn't because she didn't like to have fun, you know? She just believed in her friends so much, she wanted us all to live up to our potential." She paused, cringing slightly as a look of pain flashed across her face. "I hate talking about her in the past tense like that."

"I get it," Nicole said quietly. After her older sister passed, she'd found herself avoiding talking about Natalie altogether rather than use the past tense. _My sister was always so funny. My sister always looked out for me. M y brother sacrificed everything to make sure I got off Titan._

"How are Jeremy and Waverly doing?" Bryce asked.

"Jeremy's probably going to spend a few nights in the medical center, but Waverly's meant to be discharged today. They just wanted to keep her under observation for a few hours, because of the oxygen deprivation."

"Thank god," Bryce said, letting out a long breath. "Will you let me know when they're out and feeling up to visitors?"

"Definitely." Nicole's felt her phone buzz, and she looked down to see a new message from Waverly: _I am being held against my will. Commence rescue operations._ Nicole let out a chuckle. Clearly, Waverly was feeling better.

"Is that Waverly?" Are they letting her out?"

"Yes, but I can meet up with her later," Nicole said quickly, looking up from her phone. As anxious as she was to see Waverly, she didn't want to abandon Bryce. With Jeremy in the medical center and most of Bryce's friends were on patrol duty, there weren't many people left at the Academy for her to talk to.

"I'm fine," Bryce said kindly. "You should go find her."

"Okay, if you're sure." She rose from the couch and placed a hand on Bryce's shoulder. "Hand in there. You know Sola would want you to carry on."

"I know," Bryce said with a smile. "I'm going to do my best."

* * *

By the time Nicole reached the medical center, Waverly was standing in the reception area, arguing with the doctor. "This is ridiculous, I'm fine," she said curtly. "If I can't manage to walk from the medical center to the residential wing, then you should probably discharge me from the Academy right now."

"It's policy," the medic said with the tight, weary smile of someone long used to dealing with strong-willed cadets. Though perhaps not as strong-willed as Waverly Gibson. "A medical attendant will take you back to your room, at which point you'll be free to do whatever you think is best."

"She'll make sure I make it back to my room." Waverly gestured toward Nicole.

The doctor sighed. "I'm not the one who writes the rules. Now, if you'd like to lodge a formal complaint with the superintendent, you're welcome to do so while I attended to my other patients." 

Nicole suppressed a smile at Waverly's scowl. They both knew she'd rather remove her own kidney on the operating table next door than bother her mother with something like this. She took her hand and squeezed it. "Come on, Waves. Let's just get this over with." As much as she enjoyed watching the fire return to Waverly's eyes, she didn't want to spend any more time in the medical center than necessary.

Until very recently, Nicole had spent her days in a state of constant low-grade terror. For despite being made captain, leading his squadron to victory in the tournament, and helping thwart a deadly attack on the Academy, the truth was that Nicole hadn't even been accepted to the Academy. In fact, she'd never even applied. Natalie had been the one who'd won the spot, but she'd never gotten the chance to attend. She'd died in a mining accident trying to earn enough money to send Nicole off-planet, refusing to leave her younger sister behind. Natalie had known the risks and had left Nicole a note instructing her to take Natalie's spot at the Academy if the worst happened.

Against all odds, Nicole had managed to make it to the Academy, but within days, it became clear that the charade wouldn't last unless he somehow replaced Natalie's biometric data with her own. After a series of close calls, Nicole had finally managed to pay her old boss, Nedley, an infamous hacker, and black-market dealer, to update the Academy's files, but she was still in a precarious position. If the Fleet discovered that Nicole was posing as her dead sister, she'd be thrown in prison or worse. So while she was in the clear for now, being around the medics with their needles and DNA scanners made her uneasy.

Ater Waverly gave a short, impassioned speech about "wasted resources," she finally convinced the doctor to let her go, and after checking in on Jeremy, Waverly and Nicole made their way into the corridor.

The normally quiet administrative wing was a flurry of activity. Guards patrolled the corridors, and although Nicole knew they were sent to the Academy for their protection, the loaded guns served as a constant reminder that Nicole was also an intruder. She might pose less of a threat, but that wouldn't make the Fleet any more lenient. They were at war and that seemed like a spectacularly bad time to be revealed as an imposter.

The color had returned to Waverly's face, but she still seemed a bit unsteady, and it took all of Nicole's self-control not to take her hang, a gesture she'd no doubt interpret as insultingly overprotective or embarrassingly affectionate. Waverly Gibson had joined the Fleet for one purpose; to become a warrior; and here at the Academy, she was all business. That was one of the things Nicole loved most about her: She was fiercely ambitious, held everyone around her to incredibly high standards, and held herself to even higher ones. That was partly why she was so afraid of Waverly discovering her secret. What would she think when she learned that Nicole was nothing more than a school dropout with a criminal record?

"Are you okay?" Waverly asked, looking at her with an expression that always made her heart race, one of tender concern that appeared only rarely, away from the hypercompetitive atmosphere of the classrooms and the simulcrafts.

"I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about."

"Because I passed ou?"

"Because you nearly died."

"Oh." Waverly paused to consider this. "I guess I haven't really thought about it that way."

"Well, I didn't get that luxury," she said, her light tone belying the knot of residual fear twisting in her stomach. "When I heard that your ship had been attacked..." Her voice cracked and she looked away, unsure how Waverly would react to her show of emotions. _You have to get used to it,_ she could imagine her saying with a scoff. _If you're going to date someone in the Fleet, you have to accept a certain degree of risk._

But instead, Waverly took her hand and squeezed. "I'm sorry," she said.

Nicole wrapped her arm around Waverly and pulled her close, relishing the warmth of her body against her own. "You don't need to apologize for being a hero."

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, although she could hear the smile in Waverly's voice. "I never thanked you for catching me."

Nicole tilted her head down to kiss Waverly's forehead. "I'll always be there to catch you, Waves."

"Thank you," she said with a look as comforting as a caress, and for a moment, she imagined how good it'd feel to tell Waverly everything, to lift the weight that'd been pressing down on her ever since she'd arrived at the Academy. But even more than that, she wanted to tell her about Natalie, to share the memories of her sister that were slowly fading from the universe. _You can't do that,_ she reminded herself. It's not that she didn't trust Waverly. But her secret was just too big, a literal matter of life and death. She couldn't risk it, and it'd be unfair to burden her with it.

They reached Waverly's suite, which, thankfully, was empty. She knew that the last thing Waverly wanted was to make polite conversation with her roommates. In the aftermath of severe oxygen deprivation, the walk to her dorm was enough to leave Waverly exhausted. Nicole faced a surprising lack of resistance as she helped Waverly to bed, even taking her shoes off for her. "I'm sorry," she said weakly, her eyes already closed. "I don't think I'm going o make it to dinner."

"It's okay," Nicole said as she sat at the edge of her bed and rubbed her leg through the blanket. "I'll go to the canteen and bring something back for us."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, "I can't really imagine sitting in the dining hall right now." She wasn't ready to face the empty chair at the table where Sola normally sat with the other Ginusians. She waited for her to respond, but from the sound of her breath, she'd already fallen asleep. Nicole leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "I'll be back soon."

* * *

She decided to change out of her uniform before heading to the canteen, but it took her longer than usual to make it back to her own room. Every few feet, she was stopped by worried-looking cadets anxious to grill her about the recent attack, assuming that he, as Waverly's girlfriend, was privy to better information than the rumors that had spread like wildfire through the academy.

Up ahead, someone stood in front of the door to her suite. Nicole shortened her stride; she wasn't in the mood to chat with any of her roommates, let alone Jolene's asshole Purgatorian friends. But to Nicole's annoyance, the figure didn't move. "Shit," Nicole muttered under her breath as she got close enough to take in her visitor's dark brown hair, broad shoulders, and a smug grin. It was Champ.

"What do you want?" Nicole called once she was within earshot.

"Haught, just the person I was looking for," Champ said in a carefree, confident tone particular to Purgatorians. Nicole always found it grating, but tonight it made her stomach roil with disgust. One of Champ's classmates had died today and here he was, acting like he was back at the county club.

"You were looking for me? I thought leaving anonymous, cowardly messages was more your style."

"That was just a joke. Seriously, you need to lighten up."

"Apparently you and I have different opinions about what constitutes a joke."

Champ's smile tightened. "I suppose that explains why Waverlyy always looks so miserable around you. I never had any trouble making her laugh."

"Too bad that couldn't make up for you being an asshole." Nicole scrunched her forehead and feigned puzzlement. "Though, if I remember correctly, Waverly grew tired of you before she found out that you were a vile bigot. That part only made her decision to dump you easier."

The mask of affability fell from Champ's face, revealing something colder. "Talk all you want, Haught, but you and I both know the truth. Waverly's only with you to piss off her mother and make herself feel virtuous. It's just a matter of time before the fun of parading around her Titan girlfriend wears off and she realizes what I've known all along: that you're a cocky piece of shit who doesn't belong here."

"Cool," Nicole said as she raised her wrist to scan into her suite. She'd been dealing with rich idiots her whole life and knew that nothing pissed them off like being dismissed. "Good talk, Champ."

Champ grabbed Nicole's wrist and held it in midair. "I'm warning you, Haught. Leave Waverly alone or you're going to regret it."

"Not as much as you if you don't take your fucking hand off me," Nicole said calmly. They locked eyes, and Nicole could see Champ wavering as he weighed his options, so she decided to make it easy for him. Nicole yanked her arm free and ten shoved Champ back a few steps. "And just for the record, I'm not the reason you're not with Waverly. She decides who she dates. Even if she and I break up; which I don't see happening anytime soon, there's no way in hell she'd ever get back together with an idiot like you."

"You'd better watch the way you talk to me, Edger," Champ spat, his face growing even redder. "I know your secret, you lying, cheating piece of shit."

A jolt of panic shot through Nicole's chest, but she managed to keep her voice steady. Growing up on Titan required creative and often illegal means of survival, and she had years of experience maintaining her composure even while her heart pounded in alarm. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Not get the hell away from my door."

"You know, you're a surprisingly bad liar for a criminal," Champ said with a sneer. "I was in our suite, hanging out with Jolene, and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to get to the bottom of your undeniably shady behavior. It's almost as if you wanted to get caught, leaving your phone lying around like that. It took me less than ten minutes to cross-reference your contacts with the military police database, which led me to your impressive friend, Nedley. We had a very... illuminating chat."

"You called Nedly?" Nicole said, forcing herself to sound more bemused than terrified.

"Such a charming guy. Really colorful language. I wish I could remember exactly what he said, but it was something along the line of, I'm not doing anything else for you, shithead unless you're prepared to pay double this time.' What was he talking about?"

Nicole fought desperately against the panic threatening to take control. "I ran a few errands for him once, back on Titan. It's not a big deal. No one's going to find that information useful or interesting."

"Oh, really? Would it seem more useful if I started calling you Nicole?"

A title wave of cold terror enveloped her spine. "Nicole?" she repeated, feigning puzzlement.

Champ's slightly beady eyes narrowed. "I knew there was no way someone like you could ever get into the Academy on your own. You're a fucking fraud and if you don't break up with Waverly tomorrow, I'm going to turn you in."

Nicole's heart was beating so fast, it was growing difficult to speak. "Do you need an escort to the medical center?" she said, managing to imbue the words with bored disdane. "Because it seems like you're having some kind of psychotic breakdown. Though, you know what?" Nicole glanced at his phone. "I don' want to be late for dinner. Good luck with that, Champ?"

Without another word, Nicole scanned into her suite and slipped inside. The moment she heard the door hiss shut behind her, she collapsed onto the couch, head spinning. _Nicole_. Hearing it on Champ's lips made her hate her own name as if Champ had poisoned it somehow. How had someone as dense as Champ figure out what the Fleet had failed to recognize?

_You're a fucking fraud and if you don't break up with Waverly by tomorrow, I'm going to turn you in._

Champ's words rattled in Nicole's skull as she sat on the edge of her bed, her head buried in her hands. She knew it wasn't an empty threat. Champ might have the fewest admirable qualities, anyone, Nicole had ever met, but once he set his twisted mind on something, he followed through. If Nicole didn't' break up with Waverly tonight, she'd wake up in the prison cell next to Wynonna.

"That fucking bastard," Nicole said with a growl as she sprang to her feet and slammed her hand against the wall. Back on Titan, where nothing was built to last, this would've been enough to shatter the cheap plaster. But the Academy walls would never offer that kind of satisfaction, remaining resolutely indented as Nicole clutched her hand in pain. Waverly was the best thing that's ever happened to her; she'd never known it was possible to have that kind of happiness. The thought of giving in to that shit head Champ's blackmail made her blood coil with rage and disgust. It was that or be charged with high treason, the punishment for which was death.

She closed her eyes and pictured Waverly as she'd left her, her smooth brown hair fanning out across the pillow. Even in sleep, her expression looked slightly defiant, her lips pursed together I resolve. If she knew what Champ had done, she'd lose her mind. But even Waverly's fury would be no match for the information Champ had at his disposal. The Fleet wouldn't turn a blind eye to identity theft, trespassing, and conspiracy just because the superintendent's daughter asked them to. 

As much as she hated to admit it, Nicole knew she didn't have a choice. If she didn't break Waverly's heart, and her own in the process, she'd be writing her own death sentence.


	37. Wynonna

She might have been in solitary confinement, but Wynonna's head felt like the noisiest place in the solar system. A cacophony of voices echoed through her skull, a demented chorus of her darkest thoughts that'd been hurled at her since the arrest. She should've been relieved when Doc and Gibson left without dragging her off for interrogation, yet unlike a physical blow, the memory of his parting words grew more painful as time passed.

_She's the last person I'd ever trust._

On the surface, it was the most obvious, expected reaction possible. She was a spy who'd infiltrated the more secure base in the Fleet. Only a fool would trust her. Yet there'd still been a small part of her that believed Doc might be able to see past that, to separate the enemy operative from the girl he'd stared at in wonder that night in the ocean simulator.

Perhaps she'd been the biggest fool of all.

The gravity was set to normal levels today, and she paced her cell, trying to get her thoughts in order. She'd be punished for her crime at some point. The only question was whether they'd try to extract more information from her before they executed her.

The door slid open, startling Wynonna enough that she leapt to the side. Without time to steel herself, it was impossible not to look frightened as Doc entered the cell, and she thought she saw a flash of pain on his face as he took in her appearance. Or perhaps she'd only imagined it, for by the time he said, "Let's go," his detached expression had returned.

"Where?" she asked, her voice thick and scratch as if she'd just woken up, although Wynonna couldn't remember the last time she'd actually slept.

"Stop asking questions and come with me." She followed him out of the tiny cell into the corridor, where Doc nodded at the guards flanking the door. He didn't even bother restraining her; they both knew there was nowhere for her to run. She was on a military base in space light-years from home. There would be no escape, no way to avoid her fate. She'd known when she accepted this mission that it would likely end this way, but while her training gave her the strength and courage to hold her head high as she walked alongside Doc, it wasn't enough to keep the terror from flooding her veins. This was it. At some point soon, either the Fleet bullet would shatter her skull, or a taser would stop her eye.

After what felt like an eternity, Wynonna broke the silence. "If you're going to torture me for more information, I suppose this wing of the Academy is as good as any."

"I thought I told you to stop talking."

Wynonna could barely conceal her surprise when she realized they were heading toward Admiral Gibson's office. Surely they wouldn't interrogate her in the Academy's administration wing in between the bursar's suite and the uniform storage room. Unless Gibson's office opened up into a secret, soundproof space for torturing spies? From what Wynonna knew about the admiral, she wouldn't be surprised.

Without a word to Wynonna, Doc brought his security card to the sensor next to the door and it slid open. Before Wynonna had time to orient herself and take in her surroundings, Gibson rose from her desk and strode toward her.

"A patrol ship was attacked a few days ago," she said without preamble," and the president of the Federation declared a state of emergency, which means that the rules concerning the treatment of accused criminals have been suspended."

NO. The word echoed through Wynonna as an ominous shiver crawled down her spine. She looked at Doc, desperately searching his face for a sign of sympathy, some indication that he'd do his best to protect her. Yet his expression remained as inscrutable as ever.

"Waverly, Jeremy, and Sola were on board the patrol ship," Gibson continued, her voice taking on an even sharper edge. Another wave of dread surged through Wynonna's chest as she tried to brace herself for perhaps the worst news of her life. That her treachery had led to the death of her friends and squadron mates. "It was attacked by an electromagnetic pulse that created an explosion. Jeremy sustained a serious injury and Sola was killed."

 _Sola was killed._ Wynonna's heart cramped as she thought about the no-nonsense girl with serious ambition and a kind smile. The girl who'd always move over to make room for Wynonna on the common-room couch, who took care to never make anyone feel excluded or unwelcome. Sola was dead and it was all Wynonna's fault.

"Needless to say, the death of a cadet isn't something we take lightly," Gibson said. "But Sola is just one of the thousands whose deaths might've been prevented if we'd done things differently. This war has come at far too high a constant it's time to think about ways to stop the bloodshed. We want you to help negotiate a truce."

Wynonna stared at Gibson blankly, convinced she'd misheard. Perhaps the time she'd spent in quadruple gravity had damaged her eardrums. "I'm sorry...what?"

"We'd like to send an envoy to your home to propose a ceasefire," Admiral Gibson continued. "With the aim of holding a peace summit and negotiating the end of the war. Do you think you'll be able to convince your leadership to consider the proposal?"

"I.. I can try," Wynonna said, her head spinning.

"I'm glad to hear it. If the Revenants refuse to attend the peace summit, refuse the cease-fire, then you'll be brought back to the Federation and tried for your crimes."

"You think the Revenant army will let you extradite me from my own planet?"

Admiral Gibson raised one eyebrow and surveyed Wynonna for a moment before responding. "Once they discover that you were the one responsible for blowing up that ship, there's no telling what they'll do."

The words were no crueler than those Wynonna had hurled at herself, but there was something about hearing them aloud that made her stomach twist with a painful mix of guilt and shame. "Why bother sending me all the was to them, then? I have a device that allows me to communicate with my commanding officer. I could explain about the cease-fire that way."

"The crew's already been assembled, and you'll be accompanied by a small team overseen by Lieutenant Holliday."

Her heart lurched as she turned to look at him, too startled to determine whether her pulse had sped up with fear, excitement, or a strange combination of both. A few days ago, the prospect of taking a transgalactic journey with Doc would've made every cell in her body fizz with giddy joy. Yet as she met his eyes, there was no sign of the tenderness that, after many long, lonely weeks, had finally made the Academy feel like home. That person had disappeared, been swallowed up by the stone-faced counterintelligence officer staring back at her now.

"I've sent an attendant to gather your things from your room. We're leaving tonight. You'll go straight from here to the launchport."

"Tonight," Wynonna repeated, trying to wrap her head around the fact that she was moments away from leaving the Academy forever. If she successfully convinced the Revenants to attend the peace summit, then she'd be freed and would remain on her own planet. If she failed, she'd be brought back for trial on Purgatory, the judicial capital of the Fleets System. Either way, she'd never see her Squadron mates again. "Please, can I just have a few minutes? I need to say goodbye."

"To whom?" Admiral Gibson said coldly. "The people you're thinking of are currently attending a memorial for Sola. I don't think you'll be missed."

* * *

 _She's right,_ Wynonna thought grimly as a trio of guards escorted her to the launchport. It was ridiculous to think that her friends would want to see her, that's they'd even consider themselves her friends after what she'd done. But she couldn't bear the thought of leaving without a chance to explain, to try to make them understand how much she cared about them.

By the time they reached the launchport, her heart was pounding so quickly it was becoming hard to breathe. Wynonna had to do something before she left before she was out of range forever.

Doc was standing next to their transport ship, watching a line of attendants load supplies into the hull. Next to him were two officers she didn't recognize, a young brown-skinned woman in colonel's uniform and an older, stocky gray-haired man in civilian clothes. The remaining members of the peace enjoy, Wynonna presumed.

"Time to go," Do said when he saw her. "You can head inside."

"Can I just make sure they packed everything I'll be quick."

At first, it looked like he was going to refuse but then he disappeared inside the hull and retired a few moments later with her bad. "Be quick," he said, handing it to her. 

She nodded, then placed it on the ground and pretended to rummage through its contents as she fiddled with her phone. "Record a new message," she whispered to her monitor. "It's me, Wynonna..."


	38. Jeremy

_Wynonna's a Revenant._ The words had been playing in a loop in Jeremy's head since he, Waverly, and Natalie had left Admiral Gibson's office before the doomed patrol shift. And while there were times when the words had grown quieter -- like during the attack itself, and when he thought about Sola -- they'd never truly disappeared.

He'd been discharged from the medical center a few hours earlier and had been preparing to return to class when he'd received a message summoning him back to Gibson's office. He hoped it was to give additional information about Wynonna, but when he arrived at the admiral's office door, breathing heavily from the exertion of walking for the first time in days, he found that he'd been summoned alone.

Jeremy hesitated, unsure how to announce his presence. But before he could raise his watch to the scanner, the door slid open. "Jeremy," Admiral Gibson said warmly -- warmly for her, at least -- as she rose from her desk and strode across the room to shake his hand. "It's wonderful to see you up and about. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fin, Admiral," he said, resisting the urge to pat the electronic bandage on his thigh, under which his skin was still being knit back together. It didn't hurt, but there was a strange tugging sensation that kept him from fully forgetting about his injury. Though none of that compared to the pain in his chest -- the constant dull ache that'd been present ever since his breakup with Robin, and the flashes of searing heat that shot through him whenever he thought about Sola.

"I'm very glad to hear it," Gibson said in the tone of someone unused to -- or perhaps uninterested in -- making pleasant small talk. She motioned for Jeremy to take a seat and then settled back into her own chair on the other side of her massive desk."I shouldn't be telling you this quite yet, as the paperwork hasn't gone through, but I'm happy to let you know that you've been awarded the Medallion of Valor. It'll be presented to you at a ceremony on Purgatory at some point, though I'm all nonessential scheduling has been put on hold while we deal with the Revenant crisis. Still, it's something to look forward to. We'll cover transportation costs for your family if you'd like them to attend."

For a fleeting moment, Jeremy's heart swelled as he imagined the ceremony, him standing in his dress uniform om front of a distinguished crowd. His mother beaming in the front row, sitting next to a handsome young officer whose face was also aglow with pride. Then the pain returned, pulling him back to reality. Of course, Robin wouldn't be at his Medallion of Valor ceremony.

"Thank you, Admiral," Jeremy said. He hoped the warmth in his cheeks didn't mean he was blushing. "It's an honor."

"The honor is ours, cadet. If it wasn't for your bravery and quick thinking, we would've lost that ship and everyone on it." They both fell silent for a moment, each of them picturing the body that'd been carried off the battleship. How had Sola's parents been notified? Her home sector on Ginus was slightly less remote than Jeremy's, but he doubted her parents had a phone at home. Had the Academy deputized a local official to visit them and break the terrible news in person? Or had Gibson sent a message that Sola's parents wouldn't read until their next visit to the public lab in town. The idea that they might now know their daughter was dead was somehow both a source of comfort and heartwrenching sorrow.

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about," Gibson said, clearly relieved to have an appropriate reason to break the silence. "We recently created a new division -- an experimental program devoted to analyzing Revenant technology. It's all very preliminary at the moment, but given the urgency of the situation, we want to get started as soon as possible. After the recent attack, we have to accept the disturbing possibility that the Revenants may have found a way to damage our ships from a greater distance. That means we have a short amount of time to upgrade our systems before it's too late."

"That sounds like a good plan," Jeremy said hesitantly, unsure what this had to do with him.

"We could really use someone like you on the team."

"Like me?" Jermy said before he could stop himself; he knew this was exactly the wrong tack to take with someone like Admiral Gibson.

"yes, exactly like you," she said with unusual patience. Apparently, earning the medallion of Valor afforded you a certain amount of goodwill. "You've demonstrated considerable talent in this field, so I hope we can count on you. It'll mean a great deal of extra work, on top of your academic responsibilities," she said with a hint of a challenge.

"It would be a privilege," Jeremy said quickly.

"Excellent." Gibson rose to her feet. "Best of luck, cadet."

"Thank you, Admiral." Jeremy performed a crisp salute and spun around as quickly as his injured leg would allow, lest Gibson see the un-soldierlike smile on his face.

* * *

By the time Jeremy arrived in the dining hall for diner, however, his pride over the unexpected honor had given way to exhaustion as his overtaxed brain struggled to process events of the past few days: his break up with Robin, the truth about Wynonna, and The Revenant attack on his patrol ship. It felt like he couldn't go more than a few minutes without seeing Sola in his head, the frozen look of surprise that'd been on her face when he'd found her in the control room. Was it just the shock of the explosion? Or had she seen something strange before she... He winced, unable to complete the grim thought.

He wasn't hungry -- and he definitely wasn't in the mood to socialize -- but years of food insecurity had taught him never to skip a free meal.

It was normally impossible to sit on your own at dinner. There were just enough seats for the two hundred and forty cadets, so if you didn't sit with your own friends, you ended up at a table surrounded by people who might awkwardly try to include you in their conversation or, more likely, ignore you and carry on talking as if you weren't there. But tonight, enough of the cadets were off on patrol duty that the dining room was only half-full, giving him the rare luxury of his own table.

Jeremy looked around the elegant room: the chandelier that glinted in the starlight, the portraits glowering from the walls, the delicate glassware sparkling on the tables. His first week at the Academy, he'd been overwhelmed by the grandeur, convinced that he'd never feel like he belonged. But then he started to find his place, befriending his squadron and, to his rapturous delight, catching the eye of the adorable Purgatorian he'd met on the shuttle from Ginus. The dining hall began to symbolize the glittering future that had opened up for Jeremy when he'd been accepted to the Academy -- a future, unlike anything he'd ever dared imagine.

Yet, now, the portraits and the antique wooden tables seemed like remnants of a shattered dream. The Revenants had sent a massive fleet to destroy our system, and even if Jeremy survived the next few weeks, a future without Robin, Wynonna, and Sola seemed like a bleak one.

As Jeremy picked listlessly at his appetizer -- some tiny neon-pink fish imported from Panama -- he replayed every interaction with Wynonna he could remember. But the more he thought about it, the more it made his head spin. He wished he could talk about it with someone, but the only person Jeremy could imagine discussing it with was Robin.

Jeremy winced as a new wave of pin threatened to tear his heart into even smaller pieces. He'd never again watch Robin's eyes fill with sympathy and understanding as he gently encouraged Jeremy to share his feelings he'd hidden away for years. He'd never feel Robin's warm breath on his skin as he whispered, "It's okay. Everything's going to be fine."

"Is this seat take?" a familiar joking voice said, sending Jeremy's heart plummeting toward his stomach. His head jerked up to see Robin addressing a table full of Purgatorians, including Robin's friends Perry and Steph. Heat rose to Jeremy's cheeks and he immediately regretted sitting alone. He was looking around the dining hall, wondering whether it was too late to join a group of Ginusians on the other side of the room when he realized that Robin had turned around and was looking at Jermy with a strange expression. The distant, polite smile that Robin had taken to plastering on his face when he saw Jeremy slipped away and was replaced by a wistful look tinged with something else.

A moment later, Robin turned from the table and began to make his way toward Jeremy, whose chest tightened until it started to feel too small to contain his rapidly beating heart. "How are you doing?' Robin asked as he came to an awkward stop next to Jeremy's chair.

"Why does it suddenly matter to you?" Jeremy tried not to care that he sounded like an asshole. It was unfair and unkind for Robin to suddenly feign interest in his feelings after how he'd treated him.

Robin winced. "I never stopped caring about you. I just didn't have a choice."

"So what are you doing, Robin? I'm not trying to be difficult. I just want to understand why you're making this harder than it hs to be."

"I thought we could be friends," Robin said in a small, tentative voice that sent a jolt of pain through Jeremy's rib cage. 

"And that would be okay with your father?"

Robin shrugged wearily. "Sure. Yes. I don't care. He can't control who I sit with at dinner. I know it sounds ridiculous, but can we at least try to be friends?"

The word no tore through him. Jeremy couldn't have pleasant, meaningless chats with the boy he loved, who had once been the person he felt closest to in the galaxy. If Robin was too much of a coward to stand up to his father if he didn't care enough about Jeremy to fight for him, then it was time to move on. Jeremy had enough to worry about without adding a self-centered, spoiled Purgatorian to the list.

Before Jeremy could respond, his phone bussed with a new message -- likely from Waverly, who'd been checking in every few hours to see how he was feeling. But when h looked down, his breath caught in his chest, and he stood up so quickly that he knocked his chair over.

"Sorry, I have to go," Jeremy said as he fumbled to straighten the chair. Robin had also reached for it, and their hands accidentally brushed. "Sorry," he said again, blushing as he turned away.

Jeremy could feel the eyes of everyone in the dining hall turning to him, but for the first time in his life, the attention didn't bother him. Without looking up from his phone, he hurried out of the room to find his squadron mates.


End file.
